9th Annual Hot Topics in Aging Spotlights Age-Friendly Innovation
UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging brought together leaders, clinicians, and innovators at the 9th Annual Hot Topics in Aging conference, held March 25, 2025, at the historic DeLuxe Theater. Themed “The Intersection of Quality and Age-Friendly: Responding to the New CMS Hospital Measure,” this year’s event focused on preparing health systems to meet the evolving needs of older adults—and the regulatory shifts that are shaping their care.
The conference served as a platform to delve into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Age-Friendly Hospital Measure, which officially launched in 2025 as part of the Inpatient Quality Reporting program. Through a series of expert-led presentations and interactive sessions, speakers introduced attendees to tools, strategies, and evidence-based models that drive high-quality, person-centered geriatric care.
The day opened with a powerful overview of the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) initiative, a national movement launched by The John A. Hartford Foundation in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Hospital Association, and the Catholic Health Association. With more than 4,800 participating sites worldwide, the movement emphasizes the 4Ms Framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility.
Speakers emphasized how these four essential elements can simplify implementation, reduce harm, and reinforce better outcomes for older adults. “The goal is to ensure that care is aligned with what matters most to patients and their families, while also improving safety, reducing unnecessary interventions, and fostering equity,” said Rani Snyder, MPA, vice president of programs at The John A. Hartford Foundation.
A highlight of the conference was the deep dive into the new CMS Age-Friendly Hospital Measure—a mandatory reporting requirement designed to assess hospital performance on five domains:
- Eliciting Patient Healthcare Goals (What Matters)
- Responsible Medication Management
- Frailty Screening and Intervention (Mentation & Mobility)
- Social Vulnerability Screening
- Age-Friendly Care Leadership
These domains mirror and expand upon the 4Ms framework, underscoring the urgent need for hospitals and health systems to reimagine workflows, data collection, and interprofessional collaboration.
Yen-Chi Le, PhD, executive director of innovation and quality at UT Physicians, presented real-world examples of successful integration strategies. “It’s not just about checking a box,” Le said. “It’s about creating culture change and ensuring care teams have the tools and training to act on what they assess.”
The agenda showcased a multidisciplinary approach to improving care for older adults. Abdelaziz Alsharawy, PhD, shared insights from behavioral economics to illustrate how subtle changes—such as adjusting EHR defaults or using social comparisons—can significantly improve adherence and outcomes.
Holly Holmes, MD, vice president of community engagement and co-lead of UTHealth Houston’s Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, emphasized the importance of medication safety. “Polypharmacy and inappropriate prescriptions are among the most preventable causes of harm in older adults,” she noted. “Our systems must support better prescribing decisions and empower pharmacists as leaders in geriatric care.”
The 9th Annual Hot Topics in Aging left attendees with a renewed sense of urgency and possibility. The CMS measure represents a pivotal moment for health systems—an opportunity to align clinical practice with the values of older patients, supported by evidence-based frameworks like the 4Ms.
“Age-friendly care is not just good geriatrics,” said Aanand Naik, MD, executive director of the Institute on Aging. “It’s the future of high-quality health care for everyone.”
Missed the event? A recording of the conference will be available for those interested in receiving continuing education credit. To be notified when the recording is ready, please email IOA@uth.tmc.edu.