Erickson School News

National Innovator of “Eldercare” Joins the Erickson School

CONTACT: Kavan Peterson
Office: 410-455-1896
kavan@umbc.edu

BALTIMORE – Dr. William H. Thomas, internationally-recognized reformer in the field of long-term care, is joining the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as a professor in the Management of Aging Services, a first-of-its kind program integrating studies in human aging, public policy and business management.

Thomas, a Harvard-trained physician and geriatrician, is one of the nation’s most outspoken advocates for nursing home reform. He will play a central role in making the Erickson School a leading academic institution focused on improving society for older adults.

Thomas is the latest addition to the school’s diverse faculty of experts and cutting edge researchers who are examining the interaction between the nation’s political and economic systems and the historic demographic shift of our rapidly aging population.

New Erickson School faculty members include Dr. Judah L. Ronch, a national expert on geriatric mental health, and William E. Fulmer, Ph.D., formerly of the Harvard Business School, who is applying his extensive experience in business strategy to the field of aging services. Affiliate Professor Joseph Gribbin, Ph.D., an associate commissioner on loan from the Social Security Administration, also has announced he will remain on faculty for the 2007-2008 year, when the Erickson School will launch its new Master’s Degree in the Management of Aging Services.

“We are excited to be joined by pioneering thinkers who have committed their study and careers to the business and science of aging,” said Dr. J. Kevin Eckert, dean of the Erickson School. “Their contributions will inspire our students and help revolutionize the way we think about growing older.”

 Thomas brings to the school a clear-eyed view of aging and revolutionary ideas about why we should embrace it. Calling himself a “nursing home abolitionist”, Thomas is the founder of the Green House, a radically new approach to long term care that is being replicated in all 50 states with support from a $10 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project is replacing more than a 100 nursing homes nationwide with private residences for eight to ten people, including a Green House project in Baltimore. In the 1990s, Thomas founded the Eden Alternative, an innovative approach that brings plants, animals and children into nursing homes to improve the well-being of residents. His book "What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World,” was named 2005 Book of the Year by the American Medical Writers Association.

“ Joining an education startup (like the Erickson School) positioned at the forefront of a major social revolution is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Thomas said. “We are bringing together the best minds and the brightest students, passionate about bringing our elders back to the heart of our society.”

 Thomas’ work has garnered him numerous awards and he is a frequent media commentator on aging issues, including on CNN, CNBC,48 Hours, The CBS Early Show,National Public Radio’sTalk of the Nation, All Things Considered and Morning Edition,The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek and Time Magazine. Recently, U.S. News & World Report described Thomas as a “revolutionary” thinker whose “startling common-sense ideas and his ability to persuade others to take a risk” bring critically needed approaches to the science of aging.

 Faculty background:

Judah Ronch is a nationally-renowned expert on improving the treatment and mental well-being of elders. Ronch has researched and written extensively on the debilitating effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease and has pioneered major reforms in the long term care industry to improve the mental health of older adults and the working conditions of those who care for them. He most recently served as vice president of Mental Health and Wellness for Erickson Retirement Communities in Baltimore. His numerous books include “ Culture Change in Long-term Care,” “Mental Wellness and Aging,” and “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Practical Guide for Those who Help Others.”

 Joseph Gribbin is an expert on the nation’s social insurance programs and their impacts across the generations. He has lectured extensively on the financial threat to the U.S. posed by an aging labor force and long term obligations to Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs. With a focus on personal savings levels and the historic shift from fully-funded pension plans to defined contribution plans, Gribbin’s current research addresses whether Baby Boomers are financially prepared for retirement. Gribbin has held senior policy and management positions in 6 different departments of the executive branch and also in the United States Senate.

 William Fulmer will help develop Erickson School courses integrating business management, policy and aging. Using the case study approach pioneered by the Harvard Business School, Fulmer will design custom case studies based on public and private sector organizations, giving Erickson School students hands-on experience tackling real-life management and public policy problems related to aging.

####

About the Erickson School:

The Erickson School was established at UMBC in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson Retirement Communities. It offers a B.A. and M.A. in the Management of Aging Services, as well as Executive Education programs.  The Center for Aging Studies at the Erickson School provides cutting edge applied research.

UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology.