Stepping Towards Innovation: New Approaches for Addressing Common Challenges Impacting the Mobility of Aging US Veterans

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM PT

Location: 211

Ideal Audience:Administrators, Physicians, Researchers, Residents/Fellows, Medical Students

Course Director(s)

Jonathan Bean, MD, MPH

Professor, Department of PM&R
Harvard Medical School

Speaker(s)

David C. Morgenroth, MD (he/him/his)

Professor and Vice Chair for Research
University of Washington and VA Puget Sound

Brief Session Description : Mobility is currently a major health priority for age friendly health care systems such as the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Two major causes for mobility problems among aging Veterans are limb loss and frailty. This symposium will highlight innovations in care delivery through VA funded research serving these two separate patient populations. Care advancements and lessons learned impacting Veterans and Civilians will be shared. Next steps for research and clinical implementation also will be presented.

COI
Unless noted below there are none.
Jonathan Bean, MD, MPH – Disclosed authorship (UpToDate) and research funding (VA ORD)

Session Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to cite the prevalence and impact of two common sources of mobility problems (slow walking speed and limb loss) among aging Veterans. 2. Participants will be able to discuss new approaches to testing and prescribing prosthetics for Veterans with lower extremity limb loss.
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