University of Missouri nursing faculty member admitted to Institute of Medicine

Marilyn Rantz, professor in the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing (MU SSON), has been admitted to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Rantz, a Curators' Professor, University Hospitals and Clinics Professor of Nursing and Helen E. Nahm Chair, has spent the last 30 years working with the aging population and conducting research to improve seniors' quality of life.

Marilyn Rantz has been a virtual 'force' in terms of improving care and quality outcomes for older adults, said Judith Fitzgerald Miller, MU SSON dean. She has been innovative, collaborative and strategic in implementing the national model called Aging in Place (AIP). Central to this model is care coordination by nurses to enable older adults to age and receive needed care services in their residential care settings without transfer to nursing homes or acute care facilities. Marilyn's work has been acclaimed by the most prestigious organizations in nursing including being named an Edge Runner by the American Academy of Nursing. Her membership in the IOM is most deserved.

Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are those who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. The IOM is unique in its structure as both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization. With their election, members make a commitment to volunteer their service on IOM committees, boards and other activities.

It's an amazing honor to represent nursing and older adults in this prestigious organization, Rantz said. I think I'll be able to bring a fresh look at ways to help older adults and new innovative technologies that will help seniors remain independent as long as possible in their own homes. I'm really passionate about helping older people. That's what gets me up in the morning.

Rantz was instrumental in developing TigerPlace, an independent living facility by Americare and the MU SSON using the (AIP) model. She is AIP director at TigerPlace and MU Interdisciplinary Center on Aging associate director. In 2011, Rantz received the Nurse Leader in Aging Award from the American Academy of Nursing. She is a Fellow in both the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America. She also has been recognized with the National Gerontological Nursing Association Lifetime Achievement Award, a Mizzou Alumni Association Faculty-Alumni Award and the MU Sinclair School of Nursing Faculty Service Award. Rantz has been affiliated with the MU SSON since 1992.

We are extremely proud of Dr. Rantz's accomplishment. Her research has had a direct, positive impact on millions of Americans across the country, helping them realize a better quality of life as they enjoy their golden years, MU Chancellor Brady Deaton said. She joins six other Mizzou faculty who are members of the National Academies. This is a distinct honor and is indicative of the quality of MU's faculty who are educating our future leaders while changing people's lives through their research.

With the admission of Rantz and 69 other new members, the IOM's membership now includes a total of 1,732 active members, 112 foreign associates and 84 emeriti. The IOM was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences and is recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.