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Nancy Whitelaw, PhD

Senior Health Fellow

Areas of Expertise

• Healthy Aging
• Chronic Disease

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Nancy Whitelaw

Biography

Nancy Whitelaw is a nationally recognized leader in the design and implementation of evidence-based health programs for seniors and in strengthening collaboration among aging services, public health and health care. 

Her work emphasizes the importance of prevention, self-management, and person-centered care, moving beyond the traditional medical model and into community settings where most older adults live and wish to stay.

With her direction, NCOA's Center for Healthy Aging seeks to improve the health of older adults by strengthening collaboration between research and practice, and fostering improvements in programs, community partnerships, and public policy. The Center’s work is especially focused on elders with multiple health problems and those at risk of frailty. 

The Center serves as the National Technical Assistance and Resource Center on Evidence-Based Prevention for the U.S. Administration on Aging and coordinates a variety of technical assistance and systems change activities to promote community-based approaches to improve health and well-being for older adults. 

The Center also oversees the National Falls Free© Initiative and is actively working to improve policy and programs in falls prevention, mental health, physical activity, and self-management of chronic conditions. 

Whitelaw also co-directs the Practice Change Fellows Program, a major national initiative to develop strong leaders for health care and social service organizations serving older adults.

Prior to joining NCOA in 1999, Whitelaw served as Associate Director of the Center for Health System Studies at the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), overseeing research and training projects on case management and geriatric team care. She also served as a member of the HFHS leadership team responsible for strategic planning and program development in senior care and geriatrics. Prior to joining HFHS, she worked for many years to expand and improve community-based services for older adults. 

Whitelaw has a PhD in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan and BA and MS degrees in Sociology from Portland State University. 

In 2004, she received NCOA’s Molly Mettler Award for national leadership in health promotion, and in 2007 she was awarded the Maxwell A. Pollack Award from the Gerontological Society of America for distinction in bridging research, policy, and practice. 

In 2009, she was the recipient of the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award for “leading an innovative, effective nationwide movement to develop and deliver evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs through community-based, aging, and health organization networks.” 

Whitelaw was recently elected to serve as President of the Gerontological Society of America in 2012.