The award presentation will take place at GSA's 58th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 18th-22nd, 2005 in Orlando, FL. The actual conferral will occur on Saturday the 19th at 5:30 p.m. at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. The meeting is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among clinical, administrative, and research professionals who specialize in the study of the aging process.
Harrington's research has had a national inpact on long-term care policies. Her studies on staffing served as the basis for a recent investigation of nursing homes by the U.S. General Accounting Office and the U.S. Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. She has often presented testimony before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and has served as an unpaid consultant to this committee. In 1999 her efforts led to budget legislation on higher minimum staffing standards and salary increases for California nursing home staff.
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), founded in 1945, is the oldest and largest national multidisciplinary scientific organization devoted to the advancement of gerontological research. Its membership includes some 5,000+ researchers, educators, practitioners, and other professionals in the field of aging. The Society's principal missions are to promote research and education in aging and to encourage the dissemination of research results to other scientists, decision makers, and practitioners.