University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Galik Named Clinician of the Year

Baltimore, Md. - Elizabeth "Beth" Galik, PhD ’07, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor and chair of the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Department Organizational Systems and Adult Health (OSAH), has been named the 2026 Clinician of the Year by the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed).

The award recognizes a practitioner in the post-acute and long-term care setting who embodies excellence in patient care.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized for my clinical practice in post-acute and long-term care settings that has focused improving outcomes for individuals living with dementia,” Galik said. “My clinical practice has inspired and informed my teaching and scholarly pursuits.”

She was nominated by several current and former members of the PALTmed Board of Directors, including Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, professor, Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology, and associate dean for research.

“Her dedication to clinical care of older adults, particularly those living with dementia and other mental health issues, aging research, education, and the creation and advancement of new knowledge in aging is clearly evident by work over her career at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and prior to that time,” the group wrote in its letter of support.

“Her work has altered how care is provided to so many individuals she has touched or taught others to provide care for. Her approaches to care are innovative, and she has a magical way of engaging older adults living with dementia or other mental health issues and an incredible ability to help families know when behavioral interventions have been sufficiently attempted and medication management may be needed.”

Galik is a leader in the field of gerontology, having served as past president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) and chair of the GAPNA Foundation and of the Beacon Institute, the educational affiliate of the Lifespan Network, the largest senior care provider organization in the Mid-Atlantic. “She exemplifies the high standards associated with the PALTmed Clinician of the Year award,” the group wrote. “Her work has altered the philosophy of care for those with severe dementia from being custodial and propagating disability to a philosophy in which function is optimized and the quality of life of older adults is maintained.”

Galik joined UMSON as a clinical instructor in 2006; she was promoted to assistant professor in 2007 and to associate professor with tenure in 2013. She attained the rank of professor with tenure in 2018. In 2021, Galik was appointed OSAH chair. She teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty and conducts research designed to optimize function and physical activity and to effectively manage behavioral symptoms among older adults with dementia.

In addition to her roles at UMSON, Galik is a certified adult nurse practitioner specializing in the medical and neuropsychiatric care of older adults with dementia. Through clinical practice with the Sheppard Pratt health system in Maryland, she provides patient care to older adults and their caregivers in long-term care communities. Galik has also developed a house call practice for dementia symptom management.

Galik holds a PhD from UMSON, a Master of Science in Nursing from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.

Galik has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Nursing, and the Gerontological Society of America. She has written for a wide variety of publications and served as editor-in-chief of Caring for the Ages journal from 2020 - 2025.

Galik will receive her award at the PALTmed annual conference in Anaheim, California, March 26 - 28.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.