Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D.

Professional Background

Dr. Annette Medina-Walpole is the Paul H. Fine Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics & Aging and the founding Director of the UR Aging Institute. Dr. Medina-Walpole served as medical director of Monroe Community Hospital from 2014-2021, a 566-bed county owned long term care facility, which remains one of the premier teaching nursing homes in the country, largely due to the affiliation with University of Rochester since 1966. She also served as the Medical Director for the Living Center at Highlands at Pittsford, a URMC affiliated skilled nursing facility, from 2008-2014. Dr. Medina-Walpole has been certified as a Medical Director for Long-Term Care by the American Medical Directors Association / American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine since 2003. Dr. Medina-Walpole is the recipient of several national and local research and teaching awards including a Hartford Center of Excellence Young Investigator Award, the New Investigator Award from American Geriatrics Society, and a Geriatric Academic Career Award from the Bureau of Health Professions. She is the 2016 recipient of the American Geriatrics Society's Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Public Service Award for her work in furthering geriatric education and her commitment to addressing workforce shortage among geriatric health professionals.

Dr. Medina-Walpole collaborated with the John A. Hartford Foundation to create a national resource guide for Geriatric Centers of Excellence on Recruitment to Advanced Fellowship Training and Faculty Positions in Academic Geriatrics. She was a Lawrence A. Kohn Senior Teaching Fellow and a Dean's Teaching Fellow and co-directed the Dean's Teaching Fellowship at URMC. She directed the Aging Theme at the University of Rochester School of Medicine from 1999 – 2014 and directed a course for first year students, Skills in Complete Patient Evaluation from 2010-15. Dr. Medina-Walpole was the principal investigator on the Chief Resident Immersion Training Grant and co-principal investigator on Donald W. Reynolds Foundation grant to train hospitalists and subspecialists in geriatrics. She currently serves as Director of Education for the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant. She was a participant in the inaugural URMC Senior Leadership and Education Development Program.

Dr. Medina-Walpole is also active nationally in the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), as the Past President and Board Chair. She is currently directing the Professional Education Executive Committee for the Society and leading a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, working to effect national change to further promote excellence in geriatrics. She has served as the Co-Editor in Chief of the Geriatric Review Syllabus, Co-Chair of a Junior Faculty Task Force, Education and Program Committee member, Chair of the Teacher's Section and Chair of the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting. Dr. Medina-Walpole represented University of Rochester as a fellow in the 2016-17 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program.

Her current career interests include health system collaboration and innovation to promote vitality, health, independence, and engagement of all adults as they age, geriatric education and workforce development, and the academic career development of clinician educators. Her career goal is to inspire the future leaders in Geriatrics to support the field and promote local, regional and national excellence in the care of the older adults.