May 31, 2023
Receiving an award from your colleagues is always gratifying, but even more so when you are inspired by the person for whom an award was named. Such is the case with Philip Sloane, MD, MPH, who, along with Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD, received the 2023 James Pattee Award for Excellence in Education. He recalls Jim Pattee as both a colleague and a mentor. “He was one person who oriented me to geriatrics. He was a great gentleman—humble and always trying to help people—and he was persistent in his education work. This award means something extra having known him,” Dr. Sloane said.
While Dr. Zimmerman didn’t know Dr. Pattee personally, she has been inspired by his commitment to innovation education; and she is pleased to have her and Dr. Sloane’s work as co-editors-in-chief of JAMDA recognized as having made a significant contribution to education for physicians and other practitioners. She explained, “We sometimes forget that research contributions and the studies we publish in JAMDA are synonymous with education. This award reminds us of that.”
The two award honorees have been key players in geriatrics and long-term care. Dr. Sloane is the Elizabeth and Oscar Goodwin Distinguished Professor of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the first family physician in the country to receive a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Career Development Award, and he has been continuously funded by NIH ever since. Dr. Sloane has written dozens of books and book chapters, and hundreds of research papers. He is highly involved in and committed to the education of professionals, paraprofessionals, and consumers, including activities that translate research findings into practice. He and Dr. Zimmerman were co-editors-in-chief of JAMDA from 2018 to 2022.
Dr. Zimmerman is University Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, with appointments in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health. She also is co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and the Executive Director of the National Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL@UNC). Dr. Zimmerman is an internationally recognized research expert in long-term care services and supports for older adults, including those living with dementia. Dr. Zimmerman is a prolific author who has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles and written five books.
Both Drs. Zimmerman and Sloane have presented at numerous post-acute and long-term care conferences and frequently appeared as guests on Society podcasts. “In our JAMDA role, we brought a special lens as educators and researchers,” said Dr. Zimmerman. “We focused on topics that are relevant to drive practice and policy.” This is about sharing important research as well as promoting and enabling better care, policies, practices, and outcomes. “As editors, we took that to heart,” she said.
Dr. Pattee knew the value of AMDA’s journal as an essential source of information and education for the Society’s members and their teams. He was pleased to see AMDA members contribute to the literature and promote education on a regular basis. Dr. Sloane said, “In a professional role, you want to do a good job, of course, and you always welcome a little positive feedback.” He added, “This is a great honor. AMDA has been a great organization to work for.”
Watch a video of Drs. Sloane and Zimmerman discussing their award: