April 12, 2023
To say that everyone knows Sabine von Preyss-Friedman, MD, FACP, CMD—AMDA's new vice president—is only a slight exaggeration. She is a frequent presenter at the Annual Conference and other programs, received the 2021 Choosing Wisely Champion award, is a former Medical Director of the Year, is a leader of the Drive to Deprescribe (D2D) initiative, and many colleagues connected with her via Zoom during the pandemic to talk about COVID-19.
"I am very excited to be working with AMDA, my professional home," she said. "Our organization is in the spotlight now, and we can collaborate with others more than ever before. I'm looking forward to using this spotlight and the political and other stakeholder connections we have made to improve quality and address the gaps that COVID highlighted and the opportunities we have uncovered."
Among Dr. von Preyss-Friedman's passions are immunizations. She is pleased about the progress but looks forward to moving the needle further. "I'd like immunizations to be a priority for everyone in long-term care. Our opportunities for immunizations will expand even further in the next years with an RSV vaccine in the pipeline. With viruses such as RSV hitting frail older patients, she said, "We need to focus on immunizations because we know they work. I am pleased to work with AMDA and other stakeholders to advance this issue."
As the current president of the Washington State Society for PALTC Medicine, Dr. von Preyss-Friedman looks forward to working with the AMDA Board to support state chapters. “During COVID, our state chapters have done tremendous work. We have seen what they can accomplish and want to assist and boost their efforts wherever possible,” she explained.
A true team player, Dr. von Preyss-Friedman is pleased to have the opportunity to work with AMDA members from multiple roles and disciplines. She said, “It's gratifying that we had more nurse practitioner and physician assistant involvement at the Annual Conference and the Futures Program this year.” At the same time, she referred to the “great pharmacy team” she has worked with as co-chair of D2D. She observed, “My goal is to have every medical professional working in post-acute and long-term care involved in AMDA because it furthers compassionate quality care and patient wellness. It's all about inclusiveness, innovation, and collaboration.”
Like others who have won the award, being named Medical Director of the Year has tremendously impacted Dr. von Preyss-Friedman. She said, “This award enabled me to demonstrate what we can do with solid medical directorship. It also changed my career trajectory and translated into my first role as a chief medical officer.” As CMO, she has a bigger platform, has continued the momentum, and worked to show how much good we can achieve.
Dr. von Preyss-Friedman says she has “quite a bit of natural energy,” and she needs it for her many roles. In addition to being a practitioner, leader, and enthusiastic volunteer for her profession, she is also an active and engaged mother of three. She still manages to find time to make annual visits to her native Germany.
Being a practitioner and a daughter was bittersweet for Dr. von Preyss-Friedman when her father was diagnosed with dementia. “He was in assisted living for a few years. Though his condition was sad, I was able to help support him. Our whole family was thankful for the quality of his care. The last few years with him were so beautiful,” she noted.
Dr. von Preyss-Friedman also admits to being a pet lover and the owner of two energetic and vocal fox terriers, who introduced themselves during COVID webinars when they chose to add their not-so-carefully timed barks as a commentary over Zoom.
