The Anna and Harry Borun Center for Gerontological Research was created as a joint venture of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Los Angeles Jewish Home. Established in 1989, the Borun Center is an interdisciplinary center for applied research that creates, tests, and promotes the adoption of interventions to improve care and quality of life for persons with long-term care needs. The Center's mission encompasses three primary objectives:
The Center's work, designed to help caregivers and providers enhance patient care and improve clinical outcomes, is exceptional for several reasons:
Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, is the director of the Borun Center. A professor of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, Dr. Saliba has a strong track record in applied research to improve the quality of life of frail older persons. She led the national revision of the Minimum Data Set (MDS 3.0) and has developed methods to identify inappropriate transfers from nursing homes to hospitals; researched disaster response and resident safety; developed and tested benchmark quality measures; and examined the relationship between nursing home structure and quality. A nationally recognized investigator, she is the immediate past president of the American Geriatrics Society and current chair of its Board of Directors. Dr. Saliba serves as Deputy Editor for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and is on the editorial boards of The Gerontologist and The Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Center Associate Directors include: Cathy A. Alessi, MD, Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, CWOCN, and Lené Levy-Storms, PhD.