Parker Health Group Center for Longevity at Family Medicine and Community Health
Think A Little Differently
We're On a Mission
Weʼre on a mission to improve the lives of older adults. We want to help you live longer, more fully, and enjoyably. Every day we consider all aspects of successful aging including physical health, mental;well-being, social connections, and a sense of purpose. Aging is a journey, and we help our patients thrive by delivering care that helps them stay independent, find new hobbies, adapt to changes, and grow continuously. Our mission is ensure continued growth, dignity, and fulfillment for the aged.
Our Leadership
Meet the Parker Health Group Center for Longevity, hosted by the Division of Geriatrics in the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, and led by a dedicated and distinguished team of leaders, interdisciplinary faculty, fellows, and post-doctoral researchers.
Parker Health Group Center for Longevity Leaders: Elizabeth Luth, PhD, Division Chief; Sara Leonard, MD, Director Service Innovation and Fellowship Director; and June Mooney, Division Administrator.
Faculty: Joshua Raymond, MD, Geriatrician; Fred Kobylarz, MD, Geriatrician; David Howarth, MD, Geriatrician; Alisa Reznikov, MD, Geriatrician; Zeeshan Khan, MD, Geriatrician; Megan Byrne, APN, Clinician Geriatrics; Shafali Kumar, APN, Clinician Geriatrics; Bhoomika Kamath, MD, Family Physician and Palliative Care Specialist; Yvonne Ye, MD, Family Physician; Irina Mindlis, PhD., Instructor.
Fellows and Post Docs: Brianna Gonzalez Morales, MD incoming PGY IV Fellow; and Danielle Llaneza, PhD. Postdoctoral Associate. Our diverse and dedicated team is exceptionally positioned to advance the understanding and practice of optimal aging.
Department of Family Health and Community Medicine Leaders: Alfred E. Tallia MD, Professor and Chair, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Roberto Muñiz, President and CEO, Parker Health Group and adjunct instructor in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health and Senior Health Fellow & Instructor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Our Doctors: Everyday Heroes
Physicians for the aging require advanced training to handle modern healthcare complexities. Our training goes beyond basic medical knowledge: We equip our physicians with skills in managing chronic diseases, caring for older adults, treating mental health issues, performing complex procedures, and planning for population health. Our physicians’ learning is at the forefront, ahead in state of the art research and treatment methods. This enhances their ability to provide personal, self-directed care and to address community needs. This advanced training strengthens geriatric skills and care, enabling our physicians to coordinate health and wellness throughout your later years.
The Fellows of Our Fellowship
Becoming a geriatric fellow at the Center for Longevity at the RWJ-Rutgers Medical School offers an exceptional opportunity for doctors to care for older adults. Our well-regarded program provides a structured curriculum, stable environment, and cutting-edge resources for exciting projects. Youʼll gain diverse clinical experience in inpatient, acute, palliative, and primary care geriatrics. Our didactic curriculum and scholarly opportunities, including a two-year clinical researcher track, will enhance your clinical skills and prepare you as a clinician-scientist. Dedicated faculty mentors you in an interdisciplinary team model, mirroring real-world geriatric practice.
Our Research is Breaking New Ground
We’re making groundbreaking discoveries in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Robert Wood Johnson Rutgers Medical School. Our faculty includes PhDs in sociology and clinical psychology who are passionate about aging research. They work closely with other Rutgers researchers from various backgrounds, including the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (IFH), the School of Public Health, the School of Social Work, and the School of Nursing. Our geriatricians are also actively involved in aging research, including in clinical drug trials to fight Alzheimer’s Disease.
Learn MoreWe're About Whole Person Care
Weʼve Done This Before
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical school hosts the Center for Longevity. Our faculty has extensive expertise in aging, offering direct supervision, mentorship, and teaching, research on patient-centered care, health equity, and barriers to implementing evidence-based interventions for chronic diseases and aging, and clinical care. The faculty’s work is based on the latest best practices and contributes to the advancement of longevity medicine, providing invaluable real-world clinical, research, education, administrative and leadership experience.
We Build Better Doctors
We build compassionate, ethical, and adaptable healthcare professionals who prioritize patient care. We teach them critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning, fostering evolution, innovation, and integrity in addressing healthcare challenges. We encourage them to collaborate with specialists including Parker Health Group and VNA, and diverse care experiences. We create well-trained, empathetic advocates who become thoughtful, respected community pillars and contributors to society.
Your Healthcare Your Choice
We practice self-directed care, giving you power to make informed decisions about your care, choose your doctors, manage budgets, and create personalized care plans. In shifting from a provider-centric model, we focus on individual autonomy, personal responsibility and holistic health needs. Self-directed care is particularly valuable in promoting independence, care effectiveness and patient satisfaction, as well as disability support, post-acute rehabilitation, chronic disease management and long-term care.
The Future is in Our Hands
Letʼs go beyond nursing homes and hospitals for older adults. We can create personalized approaches that focus on their well-being and independence. These programs bring together experts like nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and handymen to provide medical, social, and practical support. By focusing on prevention, creating personalized care plans, and addressing social issues, these alternative models reduce hospital stays, improve independence, and overall well-being. Seniors can “age in placeˮ with dignity and comfort.
We've Done Our Homework
Reducing Burden in Families Dealing with Dementia
Research faculty develop and test a simple tool to change how hospice nurses and social workers talk with family caregivers of patients living with dementia about their needs and concerns, help them address their concerns, and reduce caregiver burden.
Improving Clinical Decision-Making
Research faculty collaborate with healthcare provider organizations improve how data-informed, tools are understood and used by physicians, nurses and social workers to connect seriously ill individuals to supportive services like palliative care.
Enhancing Provider Communication with Patients and Families
Research faculty work with health care provider organizations to change how supportive services, such as palliative care, are explained to older adults and their families to increase their knowledge and awareness and connect seriously ill individuals with needed care.
Supporting Families Through Transitions in Care
Research faculty partner with hospice organizations and researchers at other institutions to develop tolls to identify hospice patients at risk for poor outcomes and provide them with support after leaving hospice.
Expanding Treatment Options for Alzheimer's Disease
Division geriatricians actively collaborate with researchers at the Rutgers Institute for Health (IFH) to recruit patients for a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded clinical trial aimed at evaluating drug tolerability, safety, and efficacy in individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Join Our Groundbreaking Team
The Company You'll Keep
The Geriatric Medicine Fellowships in Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, accredited by the ACGME since 1987, train skilled and compassionate geriatricians to care for the aging population. We welcome graduates from Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residencies. Fellowships last 12 months, with a two-year clinical researcher track option. Fellows receive training for American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) to become effective, efficient and compassionate geriatricians who will pass their CAQ examination in Geriatric Medicine and pursue careers handling the complex medical, functional, and emotional needs of the aging population.
The Benefits You'll Accrue
We offer 4 Geriatric fellow positions annually; selected fellows will actively work with our multidisciplinary faculty team, including core family medicine and internal medicine faculty in a multitude of service areas including Inpatient rotations: Geriatrics consultation service; Acute care; Palliative Care. Outpatient rotations: Subacute Rehab; Long-Term Care; Assisted Living; Adult Daycare; Home-Based Primary Care; Hospice and Palliative Care; Medical Directorship/ Leadership. Learner-Centered Curriculum with opportunities including: Varied electives; Research collaboration; Advocacy; Innovation; Leadership; and Additional Outpatient/Inpatient experiences. Geriatric Fellows also have the benefit of the new Parker Health Group Division of Geriatrics as a resource to advance their clinical skills and leadership opportunities in Geriatric Medicine.
Your Core Geriatrician Faculty
Sara Leonard, MD, Program Director, Director Service Innovation and Fellowship Director, RWJUH Family Medicine Fellowship Program.
Fred Kobylarz, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Coordinator, Geriatric Undergraduate curricular development, RWJMS Curriculum Committee
Learn More & Apply
For additional information, please contact:
Department of Family Medicine and Community
Health Geriatrics Fellowship
Matrix Plaza 1. 303 George Street,
6th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
E-mail: fmrwjuh@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Phone: 732-235-7664
We'll Call You Right Back
General Inquiries & Appointments
To speak with your doctor, or schedule an appointment, please click here.
For general questions about the Center for Longevityʼs services, programs and people, please:
Phone: (732) XXX-XXXX (Main Line)
Phones are answered Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST.
Email: longevitycenter@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
We aim to respond to all email inquiries within 1-2 business days.
Our Fellowship & Educational Programs
For inquiries regarding our Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, student rotations, or educational opportunities, please:
Email: geriatricsfellowship@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Phone: (732) XXX-XXX (Geriatrics Fellowship Coordinator)
Learn More: Visit our Geriatric Fellowship Page for a detailed
curriculum and application information.
Our Research and Collaborations
For questions about ongoing research, clinical trials, or potential collaborations with the Center for Longevity in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at RWJ-Rutgers Medical School please:
Email: longevityresearch@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Phone: (732) XXX-XXXX (Research Coordinator)
Learn More: Explore our Research Initiatives Page for current projects
and publications.
Our Location
The Center for Longevity is located in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Center for Longevity
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
[Insert Building Name/Number, e.g., Clinical Academic Building]
[Insert Street Address] New Brunswick, NJ [Insert Zip Code]
Feedback
We value your feedback. If you have comments or suggestions about our services or website, please email us at feedback.longevity@rwjms.rutgers.edu.