American Geriatrics Society Taps Prof. Keefe to Join Initiative Addressing Structural Racism and Ageism

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has invited BUSSW faculty member and aging expert Bronwyn Keefe to join a new initiative focused on the intersection of structural racism and ageism. The AGS, which announced its plans for the Intersection of Structural Racism and Aging Initiative last fall, appointed Keefe to the Healthcare Initiative Goals and Strategies Committee. She will help identify activities that address barriers to change, ideally leading to a healthcare system free of structural racism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination and bias. 

Bronwyn Keefe is a research assistant professor, director of BUSSW’s Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER), and director of BUSSW’s Network for Professional Education. An expert in gerontology and aging, her focus is practitioner education and improving knowledge, skills and values in key practice areas with older adults. Through CADER, Keefe develops curriculum and evaluates training initiatives for professionals who work with older adults and people with disabilities. To date, she has trained more than 20,000 workers and provided online training in the area of aging to more than 450 community-based agencies and 20 state organizations nationwide.

In 2019, Keefe was awarded a four-year Geriatric Academic Career Award from the Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA) to build on her commitment to train an interprofessional gerontology workforce. She has also received funding for numerous behavioral health projects focused on building the capacity of providers and communities to understand the importance of mental health and substance use, and developing age-friendly initiatives to improve the lives of older adults. She serves on the boards of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance and the Massachusetts Gerontology Association, where she is vice president. Her research has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, Journal of Aging and Social Policy and Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that works to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy.