March 2, 2026
Meet Caring for the Ages' New Editor: Barbara Zarowitz
By Ellen Mullally
After the decision was made to reinvent the beloved Caring for the Ages as a joint monthly online-only publication of PALTmed and the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, the search began for a new editor-in-chief. The Search Committee soon chose Barbara Zarowitz, PharmD, MSW, BCPS, BCGP, to fill that important role.
Since March 2017, Dr. Zarowitz has been the owner and sole proprietor of Barbara J Zarowitz, LLC – Advancing Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Solutions. She has also held leadership positions with CVS Health, Omnicare, Inc., and the Henry Ford Health System, as well as academic positions at Wayne State University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the University of Michigan, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the University of Maryland. She has written articles for a wide variety of publications, including JAMDA, the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
As a long-standing member of PALTmed, Dr. Zarowitz viewed Caring as part of the personality of the association, eagerly awaiting the arrival of issues because, as she explains, “they reflected the pulse of the organization and aptly revealed what is on the minds of members. It is therefore an honor to step into the role of editor-in-chief and contribute to the future of Caring, as I remain deeply passionate about the care of older adults in PALTC.”
One of the advantages of moving to an online publication, Dr. Zarowitz says, is that Caring can be published monthly—as opposed to just seven times a year—with far less lead time needed for authors to write and revise submissions. As a result, one of her goals “is to be responsive to clinical, policy, and research topics that are percolating in our PALTC community. At PALTmed, we are fortunate to have Caring as a forum of communication and a source of information for our members. We aim to publish at least 6 articles per issue and hope to feature innovative dialogue among members. For example, wouldn’t it be interesting to feature a “pro” and “con” debate format between two authors on a controversial topic?”
Something that will be carried over from the print edition of Caring is the Editorial Advisory Board, whose members will continue to weigh in on content during quarterly meetings and write at least one article a year. Another is to use the Forum (now known as PALTmed Connect) as a source of inspiration for new features.
Dr. Zarowitz is excited to work with all members of the disciplinary team on Caring. As she explains, “I have always felt that we succeed or fail together as collaborative teams. There is strength in nurturing successful collaboration and working together for the common goal of optimizing care of older adults. In Caring, I hope we can continue to demonstrate the value of collaboration, receive contributions from many different team members, and highlight clinical excellence.”
She encourages anyone interested in contributing an article to email her or PALTmed’s Ellen Mullally, who serves as Caring’s managing editor. All topics are welcome, but Dr. Zarowitz admits she’s particularly interested in “adoption and implementation of age-friendly care in nursing homes, assisted living, and other sites where older adults receive care. I am very eager to publish articles that feature approaches to optimizing the 4Ms and help nursing facilities achieve age-friendly recognition through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.”
In addition, Dr. Zarowitz hopes to hear from readers about what they feel is important and how Caring can best serve their informational needs well into the future. Please send her an email to let her know what's on your mind.
Ellen Mullally is PALTmed’s communications and publications manager and the managing editor of Caring for the Ages.