In 1999, a group of geriatricians met to discuss the possibility of forming a society dedicated to the advancement of geriatric medicine throughout the European Union and to the promotion of the provision of geriatric medical services to all EU citizens over the age of 65. It would advance education, professional development, and the highest-quality evidence-based geriatric medicine.
As a result, the Netherlands’ Prof. S. Duursma convened a meeting in Paris that resulted in the formation of a working group comprised of representatives from nine European countries. The working group developed the concept further, and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society was founded in June 2000. EUGMS was formally launched in August 2001 at its inaugural major congress in Paris, and by September 2001, it had been registered in Brussels, its byelaws published, and internal rules drafted. Prof. Brian Williams was inaugurated as the first President (Scotland).
Each nation is represented and has one vote by a single representative. If a country has more than one geriatric medicine society, its geriatricians agree on a single representative to the Full Board. Members of the Full Board are drawn from the UEMS Section of Geriatric Medicine and the IAGG(ER) Clinical Section. EU candidate countries are also invited to send an observer to meetings of the EUGMS’s Full Board. The Executive Board is comprised of the President, President-Elect, Past President, two general secretaries, two treasurers, and the academic director. An academic board and a Scientific Advisory Committee govern the EUGMS. Boards meet twice a year.
All physicians who are members of a national society are eligible to join the EUGMS (joining member). Additionally, physicians who are specialists in geriatric medicine but do not belong to national societies or work in an EU country are invited to join.
The BGS is a leader in geriatric healthcare policy debates and media outreach, advocating for our members and the specialty of geriatrics.
The EUGMS is closely affiliated with a number of European organizations, including the UEMS Geriatric Medicine Society, the IAGG, and the European Academy for Medicine and Aging (EAMA). They serve as observers on the Full Board to foster collaboration, to better understand the complementarity of roles, to avoid unproductive competition, and to conserve scarce resources. EUGMS fosters positive relationships with other political and professional organizations that address health-related issues affecting older adults throughout Europe and beyond. The EUGMS and AGS collaborate closely and productively.
