September 20, 2024
The Publications Committee chair knows PALTmed’s publications better than most people. Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, has worked on the association’s Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) since their inception back in the 1990s, is a frequent contributor to Caring for the Ages, and currently serves as JAMDA’s co-editor-in-chief. “I’ve been intimately involved over the years with all of the association’s publications,” she says. “I truly believe in the dissemination of quality publications. And a big part of our work is making sure that we as an organization continue to reflect a focus on both the interdisciplinary team and post-acute and long-term care as a whole.”
Although the Publications Committee is fairly new, the group is already busy working on a variety of projects. “We’re looking at our CPGs and prioritizing which ones need to be revised and updated. We’re also looking at the association’s white papers to determine what needs to be updated or changed,” says Dr. Resnick.
When people think of PALTmed and publications, they may think of JAMDA and Caring for the Ages. However, this committee doesn’t oversee those publications, which have their own editors and oversights. Instead, the Publications Committee focuses on CPGs, white papers, and other publications, providing oversight and recommendations regarding the definitions, development, and revision of the association’s publications. The group also advises the Board of Directors on the format best suited for proposed clinical publications to help ensure these resources’ consistency, effectiveness, and optimal reach and impact. One challenge she sees is that members and other stakeholders sometimes don’t realize that PALTmed has a plethora of publications, tools, and resources to support them and their teams. Creating awareness is yet another effort Dr. Resnick will be tackling.
Among its many activities, the committee ensures that the documents produced by various groups within PALTmed are of high quality, consistent form and content, and have accurate terminology. Elsewhere, the group will respond to board requests to develop a new or updated publication by identifying the appropriate format and writing group to undertake the project. The committee also represents the association in cross-organizational efforts to develop joint publications as appropriate.
While she welcomes the opportunity to lead this burgeoning committee, Dr. Resnick stresses that the late Steven Levenson, MD, CMD, was supposed to have this role before his untimely death last year. “We were so fortunate to have someone as knowledgeable as him and with such a rich history in post-acute and long-term care. He left some big shoes to fill, but we will work hard to live up to the example he set as a practitioner, volunteer leader, editor, and author,” she says.