Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Health Care Review Course: Live Webinar

Dr. Laurence M. Solberg, is currently the Associate Director for Clinical Innovations in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, NF/SG VHS, Gainesville, Florida. He is a board-certified geriatrician and implementation science researcher. Dr. Solberg earned his medical degree from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in geriatric medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Recently he completed a fellowship in Health and Aging Policy with the John A. Hartford Foundation working with the Veterans Benefits Administration. He is also involved in clinical quality improvement and implementation projects including as a leader in the VA Central Office (VACO) Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Age-Friendly Health System program, a program through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) emphasizing the “4Ms” – what “m”atters to patients, “m”edication, “m”entation, and “m”obility – when caring for older adults.

His contributions to geriatrics and gerontology have been recognized with fellowships in the American Geriatrics Society and the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Solberg is proud to be a veteran serving veterans.

Kim Smashe, DNP, MBA, RN, GERO-BC, ACM-RN, NE-BC, serves as the Geriatrics and Care Transitions Manager within Duke University Health System’s Population Health Management Office. In this leadership role, Kim oversees a team of professionals dedicated to delivering transitional care interventions. These interventions are designed to support patients as they transition from hospital or skilled nursing facilities to their homes, ensuring continuity of care and promoting optimal health outcomes.

As a key member of the Geriatrics Executive Committee, Kim plays an instrumental role in leading Duke’s Age-Friendly Health System initiative and operationalizing the Geriatrics Strategic Plan across the Duke Health System. Championing efforts to meet the unique needs of older adults, her work involves aligning clinical strategies and initiatives to enhance geriatrics care delivery and improve the patient experience for older adults within the health system. Her commitment to fostering an environment of excellence in geriatrics care reflects her dedication to advancing health outcomes for aging populations and supporting their successful transitions across care settings.

Kim brings a wealth of nursing experience to her role, having worked as a burn ICU nurse, where she provided critical care to patients with severe injuries, and as a hospice nurse, offering compassionate end-of-life care to patients and their families. Additionally, she has served as an urgent care clinic administrator, where she honed her leadership and operational management skills in a fast-paced healthcare environment.