May 15, 2026
Dallas Nelson, MD, FACP, CMD, FPALTC—PALTmed’s new vice president—has been a member for many years. She credits the organization with taking her career to new heights and for providing her with a network that has helped her grow both professionally and personally.
“I would like the PALTmed membership to know how important the organization can be to your happiness and fulfillment in your career. The nursing home and long-term care practice can be lonely. You're often the only medical provider in the building at the time you're working, and you really do need support for the complex and important work that you're doing,” she says. “I really think PALTmed has supplied me with a network of colleagues and experts to learn and grow from. I have improved my practice of long-term care medicine by being involved and working with PALTmed.”
Dr. Nelson notes that one of the most rewarding things is her participation on committees that enabled her to work on diverse subjects such as education, public policy, telemedicine, and billing and coding. She calls that involvement a wonderful learning experience and encourages her fellow members to consider joining a committee if they haven’t already.
As she explains, “What's different about a PALTmed committee is that they're very active. I've been part of other organizations, and it might be a CV builder to be on a committee, but with PALTmed, I've been part of projects and efforts to improve the practice of long-term care medicine. And you should expect the same because of your involvement on a committee.”
Another thing Dr. Nelson values about PALTmed is the Certified Medical Director (CMD) program. “I pursued being a Certified Medical Director very early in my career, in part because I did a geriatrics fellowship, and they don't really cover medical direction in residency training or fellowship training,” she says.
Dr. Nelson was named Medical Director of the Year in 2024. The award recognizes individuals whose vision, passion, leadership, knowledge, and commitment elevate patient care to exceptional levels of quality, excellence, and innovation. She credits her participation in PALTmed’s program with a lot of her success.
“Doing the Core Curriculum and continuing to participate in PALTmed CMEs and maintaining my CMD has really helped me define the role, define what is excellent, and know how to be a good medical director. Without my participation in the CMD program, I do not know that I would have understood the job.”