Deanna Gray-Miceli, DNSc, APRN, FAANP is consultant to New York University-John Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (NYU-JHIGN), invited consultant to a state department of health for statewide fall prevention initiatives and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing. As a doctorally prepared gerontological nurse practitioner for over 2 decades, Deanna has devoted her clinical and research interests to evaluation and care of older adults who fall. In the mid-1990’s she founded and directed the first academic nurse managed Fall Assessment and Prevention Program in the country, housed at a school of medicine. In 2001, she completed a doctoral degree focusing her dissertation research on the “Lived experience and meaning of a serious fall to older adults”. In 2002, Deanna was awarded a two-year Post-Doctoral Scholarship by The John A. Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program, working with faculty mentors from the School of Nursing and School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gray-Miceli’s program of research includes the development, validation and feasibility for RNs to use a post-fall assessment tool for older adults in nursing homes who fall. The tool is capable of detecting reasons for fall events by clinical staff. To further test its clinical use and feasibility by clinical staff to reduce falls, Deanna was awarded a pilot grant through the Division of Long-Term Care Awards at the University of Pennsylvania- School of Medicine.
Dr. Gray-Miceli’s work in fall prevention includes nursing, interdisciplinary, and consumer education, clinical research and development of programs and services for older adults who fall. In 2006, she was an invited reviewer to the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA), Injury Surveillance Workgroup on Falls [ISW4] Report: Consensus Recommendations for Surveillance of Falls and Fall-related Injuries, and contributed to ECRI’s book “Fall Prevention Strategies in Health Care Settings” . Deanna has published over 25 refereed journal articles, 10 book chapters and presented over 25 papers or posters at national and local scientific meetings most related to falls in older adults. As a consultant to NYU, Deanna is Project Director to the AACN/JHI sponsored grant ““Preparing Nursing Students to Care for Older Adults: Enhancing Gerontology in Senior-level Undergraduate Courses: The G-NEC Experience.” Deanna is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Gerontological Society of America.
Elizabeth Capezuti PhD, RN, FAAN is a BS graduate of Lehman College (1980), and a MSN graduate of Hunter College – Bellevue School of Nursing (Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, 1984). In 1995 she received her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, both at New York University College of Nursing. Dr. Capezuti has published extensively in the areas of fall prevention, restraint/side rail elimination, elder mistreatment and legal liability issues. In recognition of her work, she the 2001 recipient of the Otsuka/American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Gerontological Society of America, and the New York Academy of Medicine.
William T. Lawson, III, BA, BSA, JD earned his BS (Accounting) and his JD from Villanova University in 1980. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New York and Georgia. He maintains his primary law practice in Philadelphia, with a specialization in nursing home litigation and elder law. Mr. Lawson is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and is listed in Who’s Who in American Law. He provides pro bono legal services for indigent elders through Judicare and Villanova University’s law school mentorship program. Mr. Lawson has published and lectured in the areas of nursing home litigation, elder law and elder abuse legislation.
Patricia Iyer RN, MSN, LNCC is president of Med League Support Services, Inc., a legal nurse consulting firm that was established in 1989 in Flemington, NJ. Ms. Iyer has testified as an expert witness for 20 years. She is the editor or coauthor of 23 books. Her most recent book is Nursing Malpractice, Third Edition, which she coedited with Barbara Levin BSN RN LNCC ONC. She earned her MSN from University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She is certified as a legal nurse consultant from the American Association of Legal Nurse Consulting. Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, she completed a five year term in 2003, including one year as president of the Association (2002-2003). She served a two year term as the chair of the Education Committee of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants and was the chief editor of the AALNC online legal nurse consulting course (first edition).