Timothy W. Farrell

Timothy W. Farrell, MD, AGSF, is Presidential Endowed Chair in the Division of Geriatrics, Professor of Medicine, and Associate Chief for Age-Friendly Care at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah. He concurrently serves as Physician Investigator at the VA Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC).

Education

• A.B., Philosophy – Dartmouth College
• M.D. – University of Massachusetts Medical School
• Residency in Family Medicine – Brown University/Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island
• Fellowship in Geriatrics – Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital
• Research Fellowship in Geriatrics – Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital

Research Interests

Dr. Farrell’s scholarly work centers on age-friendly health systems, medical ethics, transitions of care, interprofessional education and practice, and the ethically complex care of unrepresented older adults. He has led national position statements on socially isolated elders and on ethical allocation of scarce resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he actively opposes ageism through local, regional, and national initiatives.

Publication Themes

Across more than 40 peer-reviewed articles since 2007, three dominant themes emerge: (1) innovation in geriatric care delivery and age-friendly health-system transformation; (2) ethical, policy, and equity challenges—especially for unrepresented or marginalized older adults; and (3) interprofessional education models that prepare the healthcare workforce to meet the complex needs of an aging population.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Presidential Endowed Chair in Geriatrics, University of Utah
• HRSA Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA)
• Fellow of the American Geriatrics Society (AGSF)
• Fellow, University of Utah Academy of Health Science Educators
• 2016–17 Emerging Leaders in Aging Leadership Scholar (Tideswell/AGS/ADGAP)

Leadership, Grants, & Advising

Dr. Farrell chairs the American Geriatrics Society Ethics Committee and co-chairs the AGS Tideswell Leaders in Aging Special Interest Group. He co-PIs the CDC-funded “Specialty Societies Advancing Adult Immunization” AGS sub-award via CMSS. From 2016 to 2021 he directed the University of Utah Health Interprofessional Education Program, leading its successful 2021 application to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for Age-Friendly Committed to Care Excellence Status. While specific advisee names are not listed, his extensive mentorship is reflected in numerous co-authored papers with trainees across medicine, nursing, social work, and public health.

Laboratory & Clinical Teams

At the VA Salt Lake City GRECC, Dr. Farrell works within a multidisciplinary team of geriatricians, nurses, pharmacists, and social scientists to design, implement, and evaluate innovative care models for older veterans. His University of Utah team supports the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, embedding the 4Ms framework (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility) across inpatient, ambulatory, and post-acute care settings.