March 17, 2023
Columbia, MD – AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) Medicine has elected its 2023-2024 Board of Directors. Milta O. Little, DO, CMD, is President; Rajeev Kumar, MD, FACP, CMD, is President-Elect; and Sabine von Preyss-Friedman, MD, FACP, CMD, is Vice President.
Dr. Little is an Associate Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Duke University and Senior Fellow in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. She has spent a significant portion of her medical career teaching and practicing in the PALTC continuum. Dr. Little previously served three terms on the AMDA Board: Secretary, 2012-2014; Chair of the House of Delegates, 2014-2016; and State Chapter Presidents Counsel Representative, 2017-2020. She currently serves on the NP/PA Advisory Council, the editorial board for JAMDA, and as a regular scientific contributor for Caring for the Ages. Her primary scholarly interests are interprofessional education, deprescribing initiatives, non-pharmacologic management of dementia, and implementation of Dementia-Friendly and Age-Friendly Health System programs across settings of care.
Dr. Kumar is a Chicago-based geriatrician working in PALTC for more than 25 years. He is joining Optum at Home as Delta Team medical director in April 2023. Prior to this, he was the medical director for Humana I-SNP in the north-central region and previously led a team of clinicians providing palliative care and chronic disease management to homebound seniors in Illinois and Missouri as the regional medical director for Prospero Health. He also serves as the medical director for Plymouth Place and Burgess Square nursing facilities in the western suburbs of Chicago. In his previous role as the managing partner of a large geriatrics practice, he mentored many PA and APRN students, family practice residents, and geriatrics fellows, and has received awards for excellence in teaching and for inclusiveness. He also served as president of AMDA’s Illinois state chapter and as Secretary on AMDA’s Board.
AMDA has been Dr. von Preyss-Friedman’s professional home since her time as a geriatric medicine fellow when she served as medical director for the University of Washington’s associated skilled nursing facility. Other professional highlights include 12 years as chief medical officer for Avalon Healthcare and being named the Society’s Medical Director of the Year in 2011 and its 2021 Choosing Wisely Champion. Along with the other Drive to Deprescribe Work Group members, she received the John Gladstone Award for Media Excellence at PALTC23 in Tampa, FL. In addition, Dr. von Preyss-Friedman is President of AMDA’s Washington state chapter and was appointed by the Governor of Washington to the COVID healthcare advisory group.
The 2023-2024 Board is rounded out by:
Treasurer: Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, Gainesville, GA (Re-elected)
Secretary: Leslie Beth Eber, MD, CMD, Englewood, CO (Returning)
Chair, House of Delegates: Wayne Saltsman, MD, PhD, CMD, Burlington, MA (Returning)
State Presidents Council Representatives: Michael Wasserman, MD, CMD, Newbury Park, CA (Newly Elected); Danny Felty, MD, FAAFP, CMD, North Chesterfield, VA (Returning); Diane Sanders-Cepeda, DO, CMD, Cooper City, FL (Returning)
House of Delegates Representatives: Lea Watson, MD, MPH, Lafayette, CO (Newly Elected); Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, Baltimore, MD (Returning); Allison Villegas, PA-C, Arvada, CO (Returning)
Immediate Past-President: Suzanne Gillespie, MD, RD, CMD, Rochester, NY
“As my time as AMDA’s Executive Director comes to an end, I feel confident that our new board, led by Dr. Milta Little, will continue to do a great job moving the Society forward,” says Christopher E. Laxton, CAE, who is retiring next month after 10 years. “Along with Michelle Zinnert, my successor, this organization is in the best possible hands.”
###
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is the only medical specialty society representing the community of over 50,000 medical directors, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other practitioners working in the various post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings. Dedicated to defining and improving quality, we advance our mission through timely professional development, evidence-based clinical guidance, and tireless advocacy on behalf of members, patients, families, and staff. Visit https://paltc.org/ for more information.
