Dr. Philip Nathan Solomon, assistant professor of Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, program director for Northwell Health’s Geriatrics Fellowship Program, and director of Geriatric Education and Clinical Integration, has been named a 2024 Macy Faculty Scholar.

Part of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the Macy Faculty Scholars Program identifies and nurtures promising early career educators in medicine and nursing and supports them in optimizing learning in clinical environments.

Solomon is one of five medical educators selected nationwide to join this year’s elite group of scholars. He will receive support for his work developing geriatrics curricula for undergraduate and graduate medical education at Northwell Health.

“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be a Macy Faculty Scholar,” said Solomon. “It embodies the support I have received from my mentors at Northwell Health and the Zucker School of Medicine, and I am honored to represent the school and health system through this prestigious award.”

Throughout the two-year program, the Scholars will receive mentorship, training, and the support of a broad network of current and alumni Scholars while pursuing a mentored educational project at their home institution.

The projects address important themes spanning health equity and justice, climate change and health, and health professions curricula. Each Scholar may also receive up to $100,000 per year for two years in stipend support, along with an additional $25,000 per year for professional development activities and project expenses.

Since its inception in 2010, the Macy Faculty Scholars Program has identified and supported dozens of outstanding educators, physicians, nurses, and role models to become national leaders in medical and nursing education.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Philip Solomon to the 2024 cohort of Macy Faculty Scholars,” said Dr. Holly J. Humphrey, president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. “As a geriatrician within a large health system, Dr. Solomon is ideally positioned to develop geriatrics curricula across the interprofessional clinical spectrum. We are grateful for his important and meaningful work, which focuses on optimizing care for older adults—a growing patient population whose health and health care needs often touch multiple generations.”

Northwell Health’s Graduate Medical Training Program is one of the largest in the nation, educating more than 2,000 residents and fellows each year.

The training and clinical experiences around aging and care of older adults vary from program to program.

With the support from the Macy Faculty Scholars Program, Solomon plans to enhance the learner experience by developing a fully integrated geriatrics curriculum to increase collaboration, improve the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals, and ultimately lead to better patient care for the vulnerable older adult population.

“The gold standard for care of older adults requires interprofessional providers collaborating to achieve the best outcomes,” explained Solomon. “For my project, we will conduct a comprehensive review of different geriatrics curricula across Hofstra University’s health professions education schools and Northwell Health’s training programs. Subsequently, we will unite interprofessional trainees to develop an integrated geriatrics curriculum comprising workshops, didactic sessions, and self-directed learning.”

While working on his Macy Faculty Scholar project, Solomon will be mentored by Dr. Edith Burns, professor of Medicine and director of research in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

Burns has known Solomon since he joined the Division in 2020. They have worked closely to update, strengthen, and expand the fellowship curriculum and training experience.

“Phil is an ideal choice as a Macy Faculty Scholar and is uniquely qualified to carry out the proposed educational plan,” said Burns, who, as a primary mentor, will help ensure project milestones and facilitate collaboration and networking both within Northwell and on a local and national level. “He is a superb and empathetic clinician with the rare ability to communicate and teach others from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. His experience in health systems and ability to collaborate provides added depth and substance, and his innovation and energy make him a wonderful role model for our field.”

As the population of older adults continues to rise, it is estimated that in the next ten years, the need for geriatricians will be double the supply.

Through his work, Solomon also intends to reframe geriatrics for early-career trainees in hopes of re-energizing a field that is often misunderstood and mischaracterized.

“We need to redefine Geriatrics for trainees early in their career arc, so they do not carry negative stereotypes and perceptions about the field as they work with other learners,” said Solomon. “Even if we do not fully meet the need for formally trained geriatricians, most future doctors will care for older adults.

Early exposure to the tenets of geriatrics will allow interprofessional providers to improve care to this growing population.”

Visit the Macy Foundation Faculty Scholars website to learn more about the 2024 Macy Faculty Scholars and their projects.