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Dr. Ruth Finkelstein - International Federation on Ageing. New York, NY, UNITED STATES

Dr. Ruth Finkelstein

Associate Director | Columbia International Longevity Centre

New York, NY, UNITED STATES

Dr. Ruth Finkelstein translates interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on aging and its societal implications into policy-focused practice.

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Biography

Ruth Finkelstein, ScD, translates interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on aging and its societal implications into policy-focused practice. She is Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, and she is Associate Director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center. The goal of the her aging policy work is to maximize productivity, quality of life, and health across the life course. She also serves as director of ILC-USA. Prior to joining Columbia, Dr. Finkelstein was the Senior Vice President for Policy and Planning at The New York Academy of Medicine, where she directed the Age-friendly New York City Initiative, which won the 2013 award for "The Best Existing Age Friendly Initiative in the World" from the International Federation on Ageing, as well as the Archstone Award for Excellence in Program Innovation from the American Public Health Association. In 2012, Ruth was named one of the nation's "Game Changers" by Metropolis Magazine for her leadership on the Age-friendly NYC initiative. She also directs the Age Smart Employer Awards program funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Dr. Finkelstein has over thirty years experience in health policy, planning and research, focused on promoting health for vulnerable populations. As an expert in health care financing, HIV/AIDS care, and drug policy, she has led studies that motivated the integration of adherence support and drug treatment into HIV/AIDS care and also authored policy papers that helped provide a public health framework to overturn the Rockefeller drug laws in New York State. She has also provided technical assistance to other cities in the U.S. and around the world on planning, implementation, and evaluation of systems-level aging initiatives. She received her Doctor of Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Areas of Expertise (8)

Vaccination

Public Policy

Ageing in Place

Lifelong Learning

Active Ageing

Education and Training

Infectious Diseases

Age Friendly Environments

Accomplishments (3)

Best Existing Age Friendly Initiative in the World Award, IFA (professional)

2013

Archstone Award for Excellence in Program Innovation (professional)

2013 This annual award was created in conjunction with the Aging & Public Health Section of the American Public Health Association. It serves to recognize best practice models in Gerontology and Geriatrics, and is given to innovative programs that effectively link academic theory with applied practice in public health and aging.

Havermeyer Award (professional)

2012

Education (3)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: S.c.D, Health Policy 1990

Case Western Reserve University: M.A., Anthropology 1979

University of Michigan: B.A., Anthropology 1977

Phi Beta Kappa

Affiliations (5)

  • The New York Academy of Medicine Elected Fellow
  • WHO Advisory Committee on Global Network of Age Friendly Communities
  • International Longevity Center
  • Gerontological Association of America
  • American Society on Aging

Media Appearances (1)

Making Decisions on Elder Housing May Take a Team Effort

New York Times  online

2015-07-10

Article exploring assisted living options as people age and the choices and challenges individuals and families face.

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Event Appearances (1)

"Longevity, It Takes a City"

SeniorPlanet.org  New York City

2015-03-12

Featured Articles (3)

The age-friendly new york city project: an environmental intervention to increase aging resilience


Resilience in Aging

2011 As the growing body of research affirms, resilience in aging is a multidimensional concept influenced by demographics, social support and connectedness, health status, psychological factors, and material resources. Most, if not all, of these factors are ...

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Aging without Medicare? Evidence from New York City


INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing

2006 Medicare and Social Security often are assumed to provide universal coverage for the population age 65 and older. Evidence from New York City raises doubts. Data from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, the Centers for Medicare and ...

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Millions of medical care dollars for indigents


Journal of Community Health

1983 The medically indigent, a group traditionally underserved with health care, can obtain some needed free services from Hill-Burton facilities. These facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and agencies) received Hill-Burton funds for their building ...

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