April 29, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Richard Allman, M.D., director of the Center for Aging at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the Birmingham/Atlanta Veterans Administration Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), is the recipient of the 2009 Robert G. Sherrill Jr., M.D., Quality Award from AQAF (Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation).

The Sherrill Award recognizes a senior health care leader in Alabama who is a champion of quality. It is named in honor of Robert Sherrill, M.D., one of AQAF's founders who served as both medical director and CEO.

Over the past two decades Allman has worked tirelessly to improve quality of care for Alabamians in general and older Alabamians in particular. Under his leadership, geriatrics has been integrated into the medical school curriculum at UAB, where the geriatric medicine fellowship program is ranked 14th by U.S. News & World Report. Allman has a long-standing relationship with AQAF, having served for 10 years as AQAF's principal clinical coordinator under the Health Care Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP).

Allman received the Sherrill Award at AQAF's annual meeting on Sunday, April 26.

About the UAB Center for Aging

The UAB Center for Aging is a world leader in creating and using knowledge that will optimize function, enhance management of illness and reduce health disparities among older adults.

About AQAF

AQAF is a non-profit organization that provides quality improvement expertise and services through contracts with federal and state governments, as well as private organizations. Through a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, AQAF serves as Alabama's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).