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W. Andrew (Andy) Achenbaum, Ph.D., who profoundly shaped the landscape of aging studies nationally, passed away April 29, 2024, at 77.

Achenbaum, revered for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of gerontology, leaves behind a legacy of scholarship and advocacy that continues to resonate within both academia and real-world issues that affect older adults.

Achenbaum earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan in 1976. He embarked on a remarkable academic journey, enriching the minds of students and colleagues alike at Canisius College, Carnegie-Mellon University, and his alma mater, the University of Michigan where he served as a professor of history and deputy director of the Institute of Gerontology.

In 1999, Achenbaum relocated to Houston, assuming the role of dean of the College of Humanities, Fine Arts and Communication, at the University of Houston. His leadership extended to the position of dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, where he also served as a professor of history. Throughout his career, Achenbaum's dedication to advancing the study of aging and its social implications remained steadfast, igniting a growing interest in a field that had been overlooked if not ignored in the sociologic spheres of the time.

Achenbaum's influence transcended esoteric classroom theories. He became deeply engaged in shaping proactive public policy and discourse surrounding issues of advocacy for older adults.  

A prolific author and researcher, he wrote numerous books, articles, and public policy papers, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of growing older and its implications for society. 

For the past 20 years, Achenbaum was an active scholar at the Institute for Spirituality and Health-Texas Medical Center.  He had a deep commitment to advocate for vulnerable and abused older people. And, he was a stalwart supporter of UTHealth Houston Consortium on Aging and a regular advisor to the late Carmel Dyer, M.D., executive director of the consortium and practicing geriatrician with UT Physicians Center for Healthy Aging.  His tenure on various boards of directors and editorial roles underscored his commitment to advancing the field and amplifying the voices of those advocating for better care for aging populations.

Jason Burnett, UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging faculty member and long-time friend to Achenbaum stated, “Andy was a master of ceremonies, especially in his displays of friendship, generosity, and curiosity for change.”

In addition to his academic and advocacy work, Achenbaum's legacy endures through the lives he touched and the minds he inspired. His passion for understanding the complexities of aging coupled with his compassionate spirit leaves an indelible mark on his colleagues and students in the field of gerontology and beyond.

Achenbaum is survived by his many loved ones and friends, who find solace in the enduring impact of his life's work.

The family invites friends and acquaintances to share their stories and memories of Andy Achenbaum by emailing them to esabaum@gmail.com.

Memorial Service is May 11, 2024, 11:00 AM at St. James Episcopal Church

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) selected UTHealth Houston to participate in the Age-Friendly System-Wide Spread Collaborative.

This first-of-its-kind collaborative, led by the IHI, includes 30 U.S. health systems that will accelerate and spread adoption of evidence-based, high-quality care for older adults across all of their sites and care settings. The collaborative is the latest endeavor of the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, which promotes four evidence-based elements of high-quality care known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility.

UTHealth Houston also earned the initiative’s Committed to Care Excellence designation after demonstrating reliable practice of the 4Ms. Now, during the 18-month collaborative, UTHealth Houston will build on its progress and test changes to ensure that the 4Ms are provided equitably as a standard practice for older adults receiving care across its entire system. All participating teams in the collaborative will learn from each other and expert faculty, and be among the first health systems to achieve an ambitious new IHI recognition for system-wide spread of age-friendly care. 

“We are expanding our commitment to providing evidence-based care for our patients,” said Holly Holmes, MD, the Joan and Stanford Alexander Chair in Gerontology and the director of the Joan and Stanford Alexander Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “We want to build on what we have established and continue to reach beyond geriatrics. The Age-Friendly Systems-Wide Spread Collaborative will give us the tools we need to provide the highest standard of care to every older adult at every care interaction.”

Holmes is one of the leaders at the Institute on Aging at UTHealth Houston. Other leaders who are part of this initiative at UTHealth Houston include Cristina Murdock, MD; Maureen Beck, MSN, DNP; Min Ji Kwak, MD; Eze Onyema, MD; Lokesh Shahani, MD, PhD, MPH; and Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD.

“We are honored to have UTHealth Houston participating in this collaborative and applaud their dedication to equitably delivering age-friendly care as older adults and their family caregivers receive care across their practices, hospitals, and nursing homes,” said Leslie Pelton, MPA, vice president at IHI. “This is an exciting and ambitious endeavor and a testament to the increasing importance of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement as we prepare our health systems and workforce to provide excellent care to the growing older adult population.”

Since 2018, the movement has recognized 3,907 care settings as Age-Friendly, benefiting 3.29 million older adults who have received age-friendly care centered around what matters to them and their families. Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

About UTHealth Houston 

Established in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) is Texas’ resource for health care education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. The most comprehensive academic health center in the UT System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, UTHealth Houston is home to Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing, John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School, D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, and schools of biomedical sciences, dentistry, public health, and behavioral health sciences. UTHealth Houston includes the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center and UTHealth Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center, as well as the growing clinical practices UT Physicians, UT Dentists, and UT Health Services. The university’s primary teaching hospitals are Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. For more information, visit www.uth.edu.

Media inquiries: 713-500-3030

Aanand Naik, MD, Professor and Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD, Associate Proffesor were the guest speakers at the Huffington Lecture Series of the Joan and Stanford Alexander Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine. They provided training to all Faculty members on the Patient Priorities Care (PPC) approach. This lecture is part of the effort the Institute is spearheading to make the PPC approach the standard of care for all patients in the Division. 

Congratulations to Samper-Ternent on his recognition as a champion from the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) initiative, Trust for America's Health (TFAH) prioritizes the public health roles in healthy aging and encourages all state and local public health departments to make health aging a core function.

Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD, Clinical Research and Innovations Core Director at UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging, was the keynote speaker at the first Geriatrics Congress at Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia that was held the October 6th & 7th, 2023.

He spoke about the relationship between resilience and wellbeing among older adults. Some other topics covered at the Geriatrics Congress were: care of older adults experiencing abuse, importance of discussing sexuality as part of older adult care, management of congestive heart failure, diabetes, and osteoporosis in older adults, guidelines on vaccination of older adults.

The UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging held the 8th Annual World Alzheimer’s Day event on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. The annual event raises awareness about brain health and caring for individuals diagnosed with dementia. The virtual audience was welcomed by Rafael Samper-Ternent MD, PhD, Clinical Research and Innovations Core Director at UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging & Associate Professor Department of Management, Policy & Community Health.

Dr. Samper-Ternent discussed the significance of World Alzheimer’s Day and introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Carla Perissinotto, a Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco who is board certified in internal medicine, geriatrics, and palliative medicine and has gained national and international recognition for her research on the effects of loneliness on the health of older adults. The program entitled, “Loneliness and Cognitive Health” featured a discussion by Dr. Perissinotto about her research and advocacy on the integration of loneliness assessments in health care, and evaluation and implementation of community-based programs focused on decreasing the degree of loneliness and isolation in adults.

The discussion included a question-and-answer session facilitated by Dr. Jason Burnett, UTHealth Associate Professor and Director of The Texas Elder Abuse & Mistreatment Institute. Dr. Burnett currently collaborates with Dr. Perissinotto on research and community facing programs aimed at addressing social isolation and loneliness in older adults.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Aanand Naik, UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging Executive Director who discussed the mission and goals of the organization and his vision for the future.