The mission of the Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) is to develop innovative, effective, and efficient programs through research, education, and services designed to improve the quality of life for elders and to promote easy access to these programs.
Adding Life To Years…
Dr. Lawrence Weiss, founder, CEO, and Secretary/Treasurer for the Center for Healthy Aging has been committed to improving the quality of life for elders for more than 35 years. CHA’s programs and services are not designed to add years to ones life or anti-aging, but are focused on maintaining a good quality of life until end of life.
Meet our Board of Directors
Robert M. Daugherty, MD, PhD
President, Center for Healthy Aging
Robert Daugherty has devoted his professional life to the education of future physicians as a faculty member and Dean of two schools of Medicine, including the University of Nevada School of Medicine (UNSOM). He provided the leadership to create the Gerontology Certificate program at UNR in conjunction with the creation of the Geriatric Program within the School of Medicine in collaboration with the VA Hospital, Reno. He provided the leadership and commitment of the School of Medicine to create innovative programs to recruit and retain health professional in rural Nevada where the care of seniors is most needed. Under his leadership the Board of Regents established the first Department of Geriatrics in the School of Medicine. His vision lead to the creation of the state wide AHEC system including the Las Vegas emphasis on the education of both health professional as well as care givers on the care of seniors.
Caroline Ford, MPH
Director, Center for Education and Health Services Outreach
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Caroline Ford has over 20 years experience in rural health issues. She was instrumental in crafting the legislation that created the Nevada Health Service Program where rural health professional receive education loan debt repayment in return for service to their rural program. This program is responsible for many physicians and nurse Practitioners to stay in Rural Nevada and this program led to the creation of the physician assistant training program for rural residents. Thus the majority of the geriatric rural care in Nevada is an outgrowth of programs created and/or maintained through the Office of Rural Health within the School of Medicine under the Direction of Caroline Ford.
Steven L. Phillips, MD, CMD
Dr. Phillips has worked throughout the entire continuum of care for older Americans. He has held appointments within the fields of academic and clinical geriatrics. Dr. Phillips is involved in the development and implementation of delivery models that are intended to make the transition from traditional Medicare fee-for-service to managed care. His managed care experience includes serving as Medical Director for a Medicare Risk HMO program and for a CMS designated Social HMO demonstration project Senior Dimensions Extended Care out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is currently serving as Medical Director for First Health of Nevada which manages the Nevada Medicaid patient population.
Over the past several years Dr. Phillips has been involved at the local, state and national levels to develop and implement models of care to enhance the delivery of services to older Americans with chronic disease. His experience reaches across the fee-for-service, managed care, cost-based reimbursed and academic venues of health care. He is a strong advocate for the incorporation of “core competencies” for any and all care delivery models intended to meet the needs of older Americans.
Diane Ross, MS
Diane is the founder and CEO of The Continuum which she started in 1993. The Continuum is an intergenerational community rehabilitation agency providing Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy. A child care center and adult day program are also part of the services. The Continuum also contracts with Regional Transportation Commission to provide eligibility information for Washoe County citizens seeking to use the paratransit system.
Diane has worked in most health care settings as a speech-language pathologist and director for over 30 years. She has a BA in Education and MS in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Nevada-Reno. Diane created and currently manages the statewide website which provides resources and information for people with disabilities, caregivers and seniors with a grant from the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Department (ADSD). She created a home safety and modification program for low income seniors that is funded by the Independent Living Grant funds from the ADSD.
Leslie Daane, CPA
Leslie Daane is a shareholder of Barnard, Vogler & Co. and is the firm’s Director of Taxation and became the firm’s Managing Director in January of 2001. With over twenty years experience in public accounting, Leslie has provided a full range of audit, tax and consulting services to a wide variety of clients.
Leslie graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is a certified public accountant licensed to practice in Nevada, and is a member of the Nevada Society of Public Accountants (NSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Leslie’s community involvement has included a term on the State Board of Equalization, President of a private school board, and a board member of various charitable organizations. She currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the Estate Planning Council of Northern Nevada and Vice-President of SAFE (Special Advocates for Elders).
Virginia Cain
Virginia Cain has an extensive background and has been very active in our community, state, and nation. The gamut of her active participation ranges from being a child and family advocate, civil rights, equial rights for women, education, child support, good government, social security, Medicare, a patients bill of rights, and advocacy for older adults. Virginia has served on the following: Governor’s Commission on Aging; Nevada Silver Haired Legislative Forum (she was president from 1998-2000); Past Chair of the Nevada Democratic Party (1994 – 1996) and Vice Chair (1980-84, 1990-1995); Leadership Council of National Council of National Committee for Support of Social Security and Medicare; National Seniors Coordinating council, DNC 1995; Presidential Elector 1992-1996; National Commission of Senior Citizens; Washoe City Advisory Committee Human Services; and Sanford Center for Aging, University of Nevada, Reno Advisory Board.
Meet our Program Officer/Educational Director
SUB NAVIGATION
Latest Blog Postings
Adding Life To Years
Health Care Reform: Is it working? Health care spending in 2009 and 2010 grew at the slowest rates in 50 years. This is startling news given that health care spending has been in double digits forever! The information was reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They attribute it to a [...]
Adding Life To Years
Giving and Forgiving It is the season to give, is it not? Christmas time is special. I remember as a kid getting gifts from Santa Claus. I do not remember giving gifts as a child. It was fun, but what message do we give to our kids. Giving is the key. It can be contagious. [...]
Adding Life to Years
Re-Hospitalization is a Major Medicare Healthcare Problem: Is it Solvable? I have written about this in the past, but this is too important to let lie. One in five Medicare elders who are hospitalized and discharged end up back in the acute hospital within 30 days! These readmissions or failed transitions in care [...]