Catherine (Katie) Dawson MD

the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC). 

Dr. Dawson established the VA Bedford Geriatrics Clinic in 2021 and currently serves as its Medical Director. The Geriatrics Clinic uses an interprofessional evaluation model for conducting collaborative, team-based Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGAs). The clinic is Age-Friendly Certified and practices Patient Priorities Care, an approach for asking about what matters most to patients and aligning healthcare with patient values, priorities, and preferences. Older Veterans and their care partners (as applicable) continue to follow with their usual primary care PACT team, while also receiving longitudinal specialty care from the Geriatrics Team. The model of care includes proactive outreach from the Geriatrics Team between appointments to support older Veterans in the overall management of their care.

In her GRECC role, Dr. Dawson has led multiple successfully funded clinical innovations to improve care for older Veterans. This work has been in collaboration with operational partners in Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC), focusing on Age-Friendly initiatives, the Office of Rural Health (ORH), the Office of Health Equity (OHE), and the Evaluation of Patient Centered Care (EPCC), connected to the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCC & CT) which leads Whole Health. Additionally, Dr. Dawson has led several studies investigating geriatrics workforce training needs, and she received a national award for this work from the American Geriatrics Society in 2026. 

Dr. Dawson also holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. She enjoys mentoring the next generation of clinicians in providing excellent, geriatrics-informed care.