Judith Salerno

Bio

Judith A. Salerno, M.D., M.S., is the Leonard D. Schaeffer Executive Officer of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dr. Salerno is the executive director and chief operating officer of the Institute. She is responsible for managing the IOM’s research programs and guiding the Institute’s work on a daily basis.

Prior to coming to the IOM, Dr. Salerno was Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She oversaw over $1 billion in aging research conducted and supported annually by the Institute, including research on Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, frailty and function in late life, and the social, behavioral and demographic aspects of aging. As the NIA’s senior geriatrician, Dr. Salerno was vitally interested in improving the health and well-being of older persons, and designed public-private initiatives to address aging stereotypes, novel approaches to support training of new investigators in aging, and award-winning programs to communicate health and research advances to the public. Dr. Salerno also served on numerous boards and national committees concerned with health care issues ranging from the quality of care in long-term care to the future of the geriatric workforce.

Before joining the NIA in 2001, Dr. Salerno directed the continuum of Geriatrics and Extended Care programs across the country for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Washington, D.C. While at the VA, she launched widely recognized national initiatives for pain management and improving end-of-life care. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Salerno was Associate Chief of Staff at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C. where she developed and implemented innovative approaches to geriatric primary care and coordinated area-wide geriatric medicine training. Dr. Salerno also cofounded the Washington D.C. Area Geriatric Education Center Consortium, a collaboration of more than 160 educational and community organizations within the Baltimore-Washington region. The consortium generates educational opportunities for professionals serving the aging. Earlier in her career, Dr. Salerno was a Senior Clinical Investigator at the NIA, implementing clinical research protocols for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and hypertension.

Dr. Salerno earned her M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School in 1985 and a Master of Science degree in Health Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1976. She also holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine and was Associate Clinical Professor of Health Care Sciences and of Medicine at the George Washington University until 2001.

Specialties:

  • gerontology

Affiliation:

  • Leonard D. Schaeffer Executive Officer, Institute of Medicine, National Academies

Location:

Activity

  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Gerontology:

    FRIDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- The shape of an older person's spine may predict their future need for home assistance or admission to a nursing home, according to a new Japanese study.

    The findings appeared online recently in the Journals of Gerontology...Full Article

  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Gerontology:

    WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Incorrect weight shifting is the most common cause of falls in elderly people, according to researchers who analyzed videos of actual falls among seniors.

    The videos of 227 falls suffered by 130 people -- taken from closed-circuit television systems ...Full Article

  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Gerontology:

    MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that two antibiotics commonly used to treat respiratory and sinus infections -- moxifloxacin (Avelox) and levofloxacin (Levaquin) -- may boost the risk of severe liver injury in seniors.

    The two drugs belong ...Full Article

  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What is the mission of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies?

    The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies was created nearly 150 years ago to advise the nation on healthcare issues, says executive officer Dr. Judy Salerno. Find out more by watching this video.





     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    How bad is America's obesity problem?

    One of the most disturbing aspects of America's obesity problem is the toll it's taking on children, says Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine. Find out more about kids and obesity by watching the video.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What's causing America's obesity problem?

    Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, says a variety of factors are causing the rising rates of obesity in the U.S. Find out what they are by watching this video.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What can our society do to solve the obesity crisis?

    Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, believes the key to solving the obesity problem in the U.S. is to focus on making changes when children are young. For details, watch this video.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What are the healthcare costs of obesity?

    Estimates of the cost of the obesity epidemic are likely too low. Watch the video to learn what Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, feels is one way society can save money on obesity-related costs.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What should the government do to solve the obesity problem?

    Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, says the government's role in the obesity problem is to protect those who are most vulnerable. Learn more by watching the video.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    Is obesity a disease?

    Obesity is most definitely a disease, but it's unique, says Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine. In this video she talks about what sets obesity apart from other diseases.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    How can the obesity problem in America be solved?

    Solving the obesity epidemic will require a variety of interventions, says Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine. Watch the video to learn more.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    What are the biggest health problems in the U.S. today?

    Some of the most pressing health concerns in the U.S. are actually global health concerns, says Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine. To find out what she means, watch this video.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    Why is there little focus on preventive health care in the U.S.?

    The healthcare system in the U.S. is better at treating disease than preventing it, says Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine. Watch the video to find out why.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    Why is it taking so long to reform the U.S. healthcare system?

    After 40 years of working in the field of healthcare policy, Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, has a unique vantage point from which to view today's healthcare crisis. In this video, she explains why the system is faulty.


     Full Post
  • Judith Salerno
    Judith Salerno answered:
    Why is America's healthcare system broken?

    Dr. Judy Salerno, executive officer of the Institute of Medicine, says politics is to blame for recent failures to bring about meaningful changes in healthcare reform. Watch this video for the details.


     Full Post