Clare Luz

Clare Luz, PhD, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a gerontologist with over 40 years in the aging field. Her community-based research focuses predominantly on the eldercare workforce shortage, particularly among direct care workers. In addition, she studies other aspects of quality of life for vulnerable older adults, long-term care health services, and the intersection of aging, health, and the arts. She is the founding director of MSU AgeAlive, dedicated to elevating aging-related research, teaching, and outreach, in partnership with community, to promote well-being for all people of all ages and abilities. Dr. Luz is also the founding director of IMPART Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping Michigan build an infrastructure that expands and supports direct care workers through training and advocacy. She was the principal investigator for the Michigan Building Training…Building Quality™ (BTBQ™) six-state federal demonstration project funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration Personal and Home Care Aide State Training, a comprehensive direct care worker (DCW) training program upon which IMPART Alliance curricula are based.

She is also the co-chair of both the statewide Michigan Department of Health and Human Services DCW Advisory Committee and the statewide MI DCW Coalition of employers, DCWs, clients, and other stakeholders who are jointly generating innovative, feasible, affordable strategies to tackle the critical DCW shortage by improving DCWs’ economic well-being. Dr. Luz has served on the Michigan Long-Term Supports and Services Advisory Commission, the Michigan Society of Gerontology board, and the National Quality Forum’s Home and Community-Based Care Committee.