Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD, M. Andrew Greganti Distinguished Professor and founder of the UNC-CH Division of Geriatric Medicine, has stepped down from her role as Division Chief. After leading for 22 years, she leaves behind a rich legacy of innovation and mentoring. However, she will continue in her role as Director of the UNC Center for Aging and Health.
“It has been one of the greatest privileges in my life to serve as the Division Chief of Geriatric Medicine,” said Dr. Busby-Whitehead. The most rewarding part has been to work with so many talented students, fellows, faculty and staff dedicated to the care of older adults and to the field of Geriatric Medicine.”
In 2000, Dr. Busby-Whitehead became full director of the UNC Program on Aging. In this role, she championed geriatric issues in the UNC School of Medicine and throughout North Carolina. Her efforts eventually led the school to create the Division of Geriatric Medicine and name her as Chief in 2003.
Dr. Busby-Whitehead has served as the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Director, Director of the Geriatric Acute Care of the Elderly inpatient unit (Med A), Physician Service Leader for Geriatrics, Medical Director of the Liberty Parkview Skilled Nursing Facility and Medical Director, sequentially, of three Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Chapel Hill. She has received numerous Carolina Care Excellence Awards. In 2022 she received the Clinician Change Maker Award for The Snow Approach (to Dementia) Foundation, Inc. She was a founding fellow and member of the UNC Academy of Educators. Nationally, she has served as President of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs and the National Association of Geriatric Education.
UNC Geriatrics’ Achievements Under Dr. Busby-Whitehead
Since beginning her tenure as Division Chief, she has continued leading UNC Geriatrics into further innovation. Below are some of UNC Geriatrics’ achievements under Dr. Busby-Whitehead:
- 1999 – Dr. Busby-Whitehead received her first funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration for the Geriatric Education Center and Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grants, with continuous funding through 2029.
- 2005 – UNC Geriatrics received its first Donald W. Reynolds Foundation Grant allowing UNC Geriatrics and the Office of Medical Education to start an integrated geriatric curriculum in all four years for School of Medicine students.
- 2010 – UNC Geriatrics received its first NIA T-35 grant to become one of the national centers for the Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) programs in the country, with continuous funding through 2030.
- 2010 – Dr. Busby-Whitehead and Dr. Hyman Muss formed the first Geriatric Oncology fellowship program.
- 2011 – The Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Nephrology formed the first Geriatric Nephrology fellowship.
- 2012 – Geriatric Medicine and Emergency Medicine formed the third Geriatric Emergency Medicine fellowship in the nation.
- 2015 – UNC Geriatrics formed the first Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship. In the same year, the Division formed the first Interprofessional Geriatrics fellowship.
- 2016 – The Division moved all inpatient care from 8 Bedtower in Chapel Hill to UNC Hospital’s new service in Hillsborough.
- 2019 – The Center for Aging and Health (CAH) partnered with the Division of Hematology and Oncology (now the Division of Oncology) and the Lineberger Cancer Center to start a National Cancer Institute-funded T32 Geriatric Oncology Training Program.
- 2019 – Dr. Busby-Whitehead was appointed as a member of the NC Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging (GAC).
- 2021 – The CAH entered into a new partnership with Duke Medicine to establish the NIA-funded Duke-UNC ADRC (Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center) with Dr. Busby-Whitehead as co-leader of the Research Education Training Core.
Searching for Dr. Busby-Whitehead’s Replacement
In the coming months, UNC Department of Medicine Chair Darren A. DeWalt will lead a national search for Dr. Busby-Whitehead’s replacement. In the meantime, Cristin Colford will serve as the interim Division Chief. Furthermore, she will be assisted by current vice-chiefs, Meredith Gilliam and Maureen Dale. In addition, Laura Hanson will become the vice-chief of Research.
However, even though she will no longer lead the Division, Dr. Busby-Whitehead will maintain her role as Director for the Center for Aging and Health. In that role, she will continue to lead the Center’s efforts in age-related research.
As she steps down from this Director role, everyone in UNC Geriatrics as well as across the School of Medicine want to thank Dr. Busby-Whitehead for her decades of hard work bringing geriatric medicine to the forefront of healthcare.