News & Events
Caprio to Serve as Acting Chief of Geriatrics During Medina-Walpole Sabbatical
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Thomas Caprio, M.D.
Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D.
Annette Medina-Walpole, MD, will temporarily step down as chief of the Division of Geriatrics/Aging to focus on her role as director of the UR Aging Institute (URAI). Academic geriatrician Thomas Caprio, MD, will serve as acting division chief during Medina-Walpole’s year-long sabbatical, starting July 1.
“Tom’s training and expertise span the clinical, research, and education missions, and he has proven himself as both an institutional and national leader in geriatrics,” said Department of Medicine Chair Ruth O'Regan, MD. “His experience and expertise make him a great fit for this position, and I look forward to working with him over the next year.”
Caprio is a geriatrician and hospice/palliative care physician, serving as chief medical officer of UR Medicine Home Care, medical director of UR Medicine Hospice, and professor of Geriatrics, Dentistry, Psychiatry, Public Health Sciences, and Clinical Nursing. He also directs the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center.
Caprio leads research that improves care delivery for older adults. He studies how interdisciplinary approaches, such as geriatrics-related educational programs for health care professionals, can improve care and outcomes for aging patients with complex needs. He also investigates ways to improve health care policies affecting home care, hospice services, and long-term care.
As acting chief, Caprio will oversee the division’s education, research, and clinical care programs and over 45 faculty members who provide care for thousands of older adults each year. He will maintain the division’s role in shaping the future of healthcare delivery to older adults in the region.
“I am deeply honored to take on this role and continue to support the University of Rochester’s national reputation for excellence in geriatrics," said Caprio. “I’m excited to continue building our collaborative clinical teams as we provide age-friendly care throughout our health system and advocacy for funding to support our ongoing work in research and education.”
Over the next year, Medina-Walpole will develop a five-year strategic plan for the URAI that aligns with UR Boundless Possibilities and URMC strategic plans.
The URAI integrates aging-related expertise in research, patient care, education, and community outreach across the University to empower older adults to age with vitality. Since its inception in 2019, the institute has helped researchers procure over $40 million in new funding, developed strong collaborations across the University and community organizations, established a training grant in Alzheimer’s Disease, and led URMC’s Age-Friendly Health Care System transformation.
“The UR Aging Institute has had an incredibly successful start,” said Medina-Walpole. “Now, it’s time to bring the institute to the next level, in line with other premier national aging institutes. My academic leave will focus on establishing future directions and priorities that build on our mission.”
Medina-Walpole will visit renowned aging programs at other prominent academic institutions to draw inspiration from their operational models. She will also conduct a listening tour across the University to identify new opportunities for collaboration across the URAI. A strategic planning taskforce and an external advisory board will help develop and evaluate the new URAI strategic plan.
Medina-Walpole plans to resume her role as Geriatrics/Aging chief and clinical duties on July 1, 2026.