Thomas M. Gill, MD

Thomas M. Gill, MD, is the director of the Yale Program on Aging, Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, and Yale Center for Disability and Disabling Disorders. His clinical practice specializes in Alzheimer’s disease, other types of dementia and old-age frailty. He says a “commitment to serving vulnerable populations, including older people,” led him into the field of geriatrics.

A leading authority on the epidemiology and prevention of disability among older persons, Dr. Gill says trends are strongly in favor of people leading full lives as they age. “Because of advancements in the field, each generation of older persons has led healthier and more productive lives relative to the prior generation,” he says.

His own research has shown that preventive rehabilitation of minor physical infirmities keeps older persons from developing serious disabilities. That is just one strategy he and his fellow physicians at Yale Medicine use to keep older people healthy and active. “We implement a case management model, in which the physician works in partnership with a team of outstanding case managers,” he says. “We will carefully listen to their concerns and make recommendations based on their preferences and goals of care.” Dr. Gill is a professor of medicine (geriatrics), of epidemiology (chronic diseases) and of investigative medicine at Yale School of Medicine.