Press Release
Date: 09-19-12Name: Jerry Carey Phone: 856-566-6171
Email: careyge@umdnj.edu
Dr. Thomas Cavalieri Named Chair of National Medical School Accrediting Agency
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An academic geriatrician, Dr. Cavalieri has been an advocate for older adults for nearly 30 years, raising the standard of care for them and helping UMDNJ-SOM to achieve national renown in the field. In addition to being dean, Dr. Cavalieri is also a tenured professor of medicine and the Osteopathic Heritage Endowed Chair for Primary Care Research. He was the founding director of the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (formerly the Center for Aging) and chair of the Department of Medicine at UMDNJ-SOM.
Since completing his internal medicine training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and his geriatric training at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, Dr. Cavalieri has been committed to raising awareness about critical issues that impact the quality of life of seniors. He has provided leadership to two decades of federally funded programs devoted to educating physicians and other health care professionals to better meet the needs of the elderly. During his career, he has garnered more than $16 million in extramural funding for his research and training efforts in aging and primary care. He has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer reviewed journal articles, abstracts and book chapters, many of which reflect his interest in medical ethics and end-of-life care.
Dr. Cavalieri has served in leadership positions on numerous professional committees at the national and state levels, including chair of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, president of the American College of Osteopathic Internists, chair of the Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community Based Linkages (an advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and chair of the New Jersey Commission on Aging. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his advocacy for seniors, and for his community service and educational initiatives. Several regional and national publications have included him in their �top physician� lists in both geriatrics and internal medicine.
COCA members are selected from both the osteopathic medical profession and members of the public and are appointed by the president of the American Osteopathic Association. Among its duties, COCA reviews, evaluates, and takes final action on college accreditation status, and communicates any such action to appropriate state and federal education regulatory bodies. Dr. Cavalieri will serve as COCA chair for a term of two years.
The UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine (www.som.umdnj.edu) is dedicated to providing excellence in medical education, research and health care for New Jersey and the nation. Working in cooperation with Kennedy University Hospital, its principal affiliate, and a network of six teaching hospitals across the state, UMDNJ-SOM places an emphasis on primary health care and community health services that reflect its osteopathic philosophy, with centers of excellence that demonstrate its commitment to developing clinically skillful, compassionate and culturally competent physicians from diverse backgrounds, who are prepared to become leaders in their communities.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is New Jersey�s only health sciences university with more than 6,000 students on five campuses attending three medical schools, the State�s only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and New Jersey�s only school of public health. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, which provides a continuum of health care services with multiple locations throughout the state.
