Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP
Candidate - House of Delegates Representative
Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and a nurse practitioner who specializes in the medical and neuropsychiatric care of older adults with dementia. In her role as Chair, Dr. Galik is responsible for mentoring faculty, and promoting the achievement of academic research and scholarship, service, and practice initiatives throughout the department. She teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty and conducts externally funded research designed to optimize function and physical activity and effectively manage behavioral symptoms among older adults living with dementia in post-acute and long-term care settings. She has published over 100 manuscripts and 30 book chapters and has made over 200 presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. Dr. Galik has served as an expert advisor to CMS and the Center of Excellence to improve Behavioral Health in Nursing Homes. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nurses, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and the Gerontological Society of America. She is a past president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association.
Dr. Galik has practiced clinically as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in post-acute and long-term care settings for 30 years. In addition to her academic contributions, she currently is a nurse practitioner with the Sheppard Pratt Health System where she maintains a clinical practice focused on dementia symptom management in six different assisted living communities and in home care. Her career in geriatrics began as a staff nurse in inpatient psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Looking to develop long term relationships with older adults, Dr. Galik began her career in post-acute and long-term care at Copper Ridge, an education and research nursing facility for individuals living with dementia in 1994. She has also worked as a nurse practitioner at two continuing care retirement communities.
Dr. Galik has served the Society as a member of the Conference Planning Committee, at the state and national level (2 terms), the Education (1 term) and Membership Committees, and has been active on the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Advisory Council as a founding member. She has also served as a member of the house of delegates representing the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of AMDA over the past four years. She has served as the Editor in Chief of Caring for the Ages, since 2020 and regularly publishes and reviews manuscripts for the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
Candidate Statement
I have the qualifications, experience, and passion to serve as the House of Delegates Representative for AMDA: the Society of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. My long record of accomplishment of service to the Society and knowledge of its members, my dedication to improving quality of care for older adults living in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings, and my clinical, education, and research experience will serve me well if I were elected as the House of Delegates Representative.
I believe that my long-standing service to the Society and relationships that I have developed with members of the national organization and the Mid-Atlantic chapter will provide staunch support if I am elected as a member of the Board. I became a member of the Society in 2005 with the encouragement and mentorship of Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, and Alva Baker, MD, who have both held several leadership positions within the organization. I was awarded an AMDA Quality Improvement Award in 2006 and was impressed that a professional organization primarily consisting of physician membership would recognize a nurse practitioner and welcome me warmly into its membership. I have not missed an annual conference in 18 years and have worked to develop collaborative relationships among the Society’s membership. While I belong to several professional organizations, I have dedicated most of my professional service to the Society, first at the state chapter level and later several national committees which culminated with my selection to serve as the Editor-in-Chief for Caring for the Ages. Serving as Editor-in-Chief of Caring provided me with the unique opportunity to provide clinical, evidence-based and opinion articles to inform and challenge members of the PALTC interdisciplinary team. Throughout these experiences, I have been impressed by the dedication of Society members to improving care for older adults in PALTC settings.
While I maintain an optimistic attitude and love of PALTC clinical practice that promotes quality, interdisciplinary team-based care, it must be acknowledged that PALTC medicine and the Society are faced with critical issues that must be addressed. We know all too well that there are significant workforce shortages in PALTC, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Given my education, mentorship, and leadership skills, I will be able to help the Society develop the next generation of PALTC staff and clinicians. I have a wide professional network of nursing organizations, advanced practice providers, and behavioral health clinicians who could be engaged in collaborating with and becoming members of the Society. I also have experience in developing educational programs that expose and introduce interdisciplinary students in health professions to PALTC clinical practice.
Clinicians who specialize in geriatrics have several options for their professional home. As a long time member of the Society who has professionally benefitted from membership within the organization, I would showcase current benefits of membership and collaborate with the Board to develop and market additional benefits of AMDA membership. Given my past national and regional board service, experience obtaining and managing grant funded projects, and fiduciary duties as a department chair, I will be able to assist in supporting the Society’s organizational growth and financial sustainability.
Lastly, I have been able to successfully combine my clinical practice as a nurse practitioner with my academic career. My diverse clinical experience in PALTC has included caring for older adults within nursing homes, assisted living and home care settings. I have remained in clinical practice prior to and during my academic career. My clinical experiences and experience with behavior change continue to inform my research and teaching and have made me a more credible educator within the health care community. I would bring this blend of academic and clinical skills to serve the Society’s goals in the development of educational materials and dissemination of evidence-based clinical guidance for PALTC practitioners.