Claudia Beverly, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, director of the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing, has dedicated her career to ensuring that all older adults receive the highest quality health care. She will be visiting the Iowa City area, including the University of Iowa, as part of the Ida Cordelia Beam Visiting Professorships Program. Presentations open to the public will be held on:

• Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Coralville Public Library
• Wednesday, Sept. 11, 3 p.m. at the UI’s College of Public Health Building (Room C217)

Beverly has received countless health care industry accolades and successfully implemented crucial policies to ensure that quality elder care is easily accessible throughout her home state of Arkansas. She will be discussing the challenges in providing care to the growing number of elders in Iowa, and how applying the “Arkansas experience” could greatly benefit Iowans.

She is directly responsible for the establishment and operation of the nationally acclaimed Arkansas Aging Initiative (AAI), a network of eight regional Centers on Aging located geographically throughout the state. As a result of the AAI network, 90 percent of elderly Arkansans and their caregivers are no more than an hour’s drive from quality geriatric health care. According to the American Academy of Nursing, Arkansas is the only state to offer a statewide infrastructure of regional Centers on Aging.

The Arkansas state legislature has lauded Beverly for improving the quality of life for older Arkansas residents and their families. The American Academy of Nursing, through its Raise the Voice campaign, recently named her an Edge Runner—a prestigious honor given to nurses who have developed innovative models of care with excellent clinical and financial outcomes.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability, who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Bonnie Kinkead, UI College of Nursing, at bonnie-kinkead@uiowa.edu or 319-335-7084.