Dr. Roger Wong, Vice-Dean, Education, has been named a fellow of the Canadian Geriatrics Society (CGS) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of geriatric medicine and gerontology.
Dr. Wong — who is also a clinical professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine — has worked tirelessly over three decades to advance medical care and treatment for older adults in Canada and beyond.
“I am honoured and delighted to receive the CGS fellowship,” he says. “Transforming how we care for older adults with long-standing and acute health conditions has been — and will continue to be — a major priority for me.”
As a clinician and researcher, Dr. Wong has focused on improving hospital medicine for vulnerable older adults, particularly acute care geriatrics. He founded and developed state-of-the-art Acute Care for Elders units (ACE) in Vancouver, which revolutionized how care is provided to seriously ill older patients at their most vulnerable. The ACE model has since been adopted at health care locations across Canada and around the world. He regularly publishes and lectures on geriatric medicine and medical education.
As an advocate for older adults’ health and wellness, Dr. Wong has engaged in extensive community outreach and public education initiatives in partnership with organizations such as the Alzheimer Society of B.C.
With support from the Edwin H.L. Leong Healthy Aging Program at UBC, Dr. Wong and colleague Dr. Mark Fok launched Connecting with Compassion, a joint initiative with the School of Music to combat social isolation among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his role as a CGS fellow, Dr. Wong will continue to do important work on geriatric medicine, including mentoring the next generation of health professionals, to improve and transform older adults’ health in Canada.