Center for Population Health and Aging receives Innovators in Aging Award

Texas Health and Human Services Commission has awarded the Texas A&M Center for Population Health and Aging an Innovators in Aging Award for their Active for Life® program. The awards were launched in 2018 to provide state-level recognition of innovations positively affecting the rapidly growing older adult population in Texas.

“The Innovators in Aging award is our opportunity to recognize and praise the individuals and organizations whose work in aging has led to exceptional innovations and best practices,” said Michèle Saunders, DMD, MS, MPH, chair of the Aging Texas Well Advisory Committee. “This award fosters more excellence in the aging field and can only result in stronger programs and a healthier aging population.”

Award categories highlight three components of aging and living well: being healthy, being connected and being informed. The Active for Life® program won in the “Be Healthy” category, which highlights those who have created opportunities for improved physical and mental health for older adults.

The Active for Life® program addresses the critical issue of translating research into practice to meet the needs of the growing numbers of older adults. The program includes a variety of evidence-based programs and interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of older Texans and their caregivers. These efforts bring together partners and stakeholders to create linkages between clinical and community encounters, which can help older adults become active members of their health care team.

“We are thrilled to have received this award and for the recognition it brings to the importance of promoting healthy aging among the growing number of older Texans,” said Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH, founding director of the Center for Population Health and Aging. “This is only possible with the community coming together. We are especially pleased with our partnerships with the local health systems and the Brazos Valley Area Agency on Aging.”