Abstract
The symposium, co-sponsored by The Geriatric Society of America and Pfizer, is held in memory of Jack T Watters, Vice President of External Medical Affairs at Pfizer Inc. who died in 2015 at the young age of 63. His service to patients was evident in the various leadership roles he held around the globe over his 21 years at Pfizer. He was the draftsman of The Diflucan Partnership, which continues to bring an important Pfizer medicine to millions of patients afflicted with infectious disease, including HIV/AIDS. He spearheaded Pfizer�s approach to healthy aging, establishing a center of excellence, serving on the board of organizations focused on this field, as well as being a tireless spokesperson on the topic in numerous international forums. He was an activist fostering positive change to enhance the lives of millions within the health arena and within areas of social justice, including LGBTQI rights.
Jack was a lover of numerous art forms ranging from the sublime, theater, opera, and ballet to the bawdy tradition of English panto. He was born in Scotland, and never lost the cultural gift of storytelling, one of the oldest art forms, aimed at stimulating the imagination while building a sense of community. In tribute to Jack, Dr Jane Barratt, Secretary General of the International Federation of Ageing, and four renowned leaders in the field of ageing will use storytelling to provide a cross-cultural perspective on Caring. The session will address caring in the context of gender, the LGBTQI community, conflict zones, low economy country perspectives and psychological factors.