Drs. Alice Pomidor and Gerry Maitland have been praised for their work in reducing falls among older Americans.

Falls are the leading cause of death by injury for older Americans, threaten their ability to remain independent and lead to enormous economic and personal costs. In 2007, more than 18,000 older Americans died from injuries related to falling. In 2009, more than 2.2 million people over age 65 were treated in emergency rooms after accidental falls, with more than 581,000 of those admitted to the hospital.

Pomidor, a professor in the Department of Geriatrics, and Maitland, a professor of neurology and Tallahassee clerkship faculty member, are focused on trying to prevent such falls.

The National Council on Aging recently named both to the 2011-12 Falls Prevention Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated a significant impact in falls prevention in their state. Pomidor and Maitland were cited for their efforts to increase knowledge about falls prevention among health-care providers during Florida's Statewide Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

Pomidor is a family practice geriatrician who is a member of the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition in Florida along with the Florida Senior Falls Prevention Coalition. She is immediate past president of the Florida Geriatrics Society. Her teaching frequently focuses on falls prevention, and she additionally provides clinical care at the Wound Healing Center in Tallahassee.

Maitland directs the Balance Disorders Clinic as well as the National Parkinson's Foundation Clinic in Tallahassee. His clinical research centers primarily on disorders of cognition and balance as it relates to visual function.