A Physician’s Guide to Living Life Fully, Not Just Longer, with Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

Published in RINewsToday on October 12, 2025

Over two weeks ago, over 300 advocates, providers, and older adults gathered at the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island’s (SACRI) 16th Annual Conference and Expo, “Navigating Choppy Waters – Shelter from the Storm,” held at Rhode on the Pawtuxets in Cranston.

The Sept. 25 event featured a thought-provoking keynote address by Dr. Ed Iannuccilli, state legislative updates, unveiling a new award to recognize two advocates, along with a panel discussion exploring critical topics facing older adults.

“This conference, by all measure, was a tremendous success,” said Carol Anne Costa, Executive Director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI, noting that the new venue, the topics, the engagement of the audience was reflected in the energy in the room.

“We are collecting survey responses an the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Costa noting that people are craving the opportunities to reconnect in person and in conversation. “If our vision for this conference helped to achieve that, it’s a win,” she said.

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Simple Tips on Aging Gracefully

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli, a highly respected retired board-certified internist and gastroenterologist and the author of six published books, delivered an impassioned 31-minute keynote shifting the tone from legislation and program updates. He offered common-sense advice on aging gracefully and called for changes in the state’s health care system to restore compassion and personal connection.

Looking back to the early days of his medical practice, Iannuccilli—who practiced medicine for over 30 years—recalled a conversation with a lively, healthy 80-year-old woman.

“In the innocence of my youth, I said admiringly, ‘At 80, you’re in marvelous condition. You don’t need to worry—age is just a number.’”

“She looked at me, twirled her ring, straightened her smock, squinted, pursed her lips, and said, ‘Young man, I have the number. Don’t you ever tell anyone that again,’” he said.

“And I never did,” he added. “It was an early lesson. As Oscar Wilde said, ‘With age comes wisdom, but sometimes wisdom comes with winters.’ Well, I have the winters now. I have the number. And I’m pleased to say that no one has dared call it just a number again,” said the Bristol resident.

As for reducing the stress of growing old, Iannuccilli shared: “I try to do happy things, avoid too much news, meet friends, and accept loss and mistakes with a spiritual shovel. No one’s judging anymore—history is history.”

He advised, “Don’t make living a long life your goal; living fully, is. If you’re at an age milestone—don’t panic. Laugh more. Call a friend. As Mark Twain said, ‘Don’t complain about growing old; it’s a privilege denied to many.’”

Iannuccilli said he stays curious, reads, writes, and keeps his mind active. “I even take piano lessons. I don’t need to go on a space mission; I’m already on a planet full of adventure,” he joked.

He also emphasized that longevity and good health are tied to human connection. “Be a helper. Call a friend. Drive someone to a doctor’s appointment. Volunteer at a pantry. Fred Rogers’ mother was right—‘Look for the helpers.’ Better yet—be one,” urged Iannuccilli.

Navigating a Broken Health Care System

“We use words like quality, efficiency, deliverables, and outcomes—but what people want is access and comfort,” Iannuccilli observed. But, fewer long-term physician-patient relationships, financial barriers at every turn, and isolation among older adults all reflect systemic changes in today’s healthcare system, says Iannuccili.

According to Iannuccili, costs for care, medication, nursing homes, and even vaccines are rising. Too many seniors live alone and disconnected.

“When someone is sick, they want to be comforted. They want someone who listens and helps them navigate an increasingly impersonal system,” he says.

Today it’s [often] a long phone queue, a chatbot, or a portal that needs a password and two-step verification,” he said. “You wait on hold and think, ‘This is my health I’m calling about, not my cable bill.’ We’ve lost the personal touch.”

“Be patient with emerging artificial intelligence,” Iannuccilli added. “With proper tuning, it can increase efficiency, help pair patients with the right provider, contain costs, and even promote equity. But nothing—nothing—will ever replace personal care.”

Patients are now called consumers, he said, a term he dislikes. “You’re not a consumer—you’re a patient. The word comes from the Latin patiens—one who suffers. It deserves respect.”

Recognizing Rhode Island’s Health Care Assets

Iannuccilli called for Rhode Islanders to stop focusing on negatives, like the bridge, and instead recognize their access to high-quality health care facilities.

“Within 20 miles you can reach some of the nation’s best hospitals—Rhode Island Hospital, Women & Infants, Hasbro Children’s, Butler, Bradley, Kent, South County, Newport, Miriam, Roger Williams, and Fatima,” he said.

According to Iannuccilli, the state’s health care system—from Brown University to URI—is “extraordinary,” featuring world-class nursing programs, physician assistant schools, and a top pharmacy school.

He believes Rhode Island can become a national model for universal access to health care.

“If we can assume our trash will be collected, our children educated, and our homes protected by firefighters, why can’t we assume access to health care for everyone?” he asked. “We have the talent. We have the infrastructure. What we need is the will.”

With a growing shortage of primary care physicians, Iannuccilli called for the creation of a medical school at the University of Rhode Island dedicated solely to training primary care physicians.

He concluded by issuing a call to action: “Let’s make Rhode Island the envy of the nation—a state where health care works for everyone, where education, research, and delivery come together. We can do better. We must do better. And guess what? We don’t have a choice.”

SACRI Recognition

At the conference, Costa recognized the advocacy of Ray Gagne Jr. for his advocacy work as Senior Organizer at RI Organizing Project and Sister Norma Fleming, RSM, for her direct work with adults with disabilities at ReFocus, Inc. by presenting them with the inaugural Marjorie Waters Award for Service. Honoring the legacy of Marjorie Waters—a Rhode Island College graduate, former Director of Information Technology for a Tribal Nation, Six Sigma Process Excellence Coach in the finance industry, and Executive Director of Providence’s Westminster Senior Center—the award celebrates her dedication as a lifelong community activist.

Legislative Greetings, and a Look to the Future

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) brought greetings from the House, emphasizing his strong commitment to supporting the state’s growing older population.

“As long as I’m Speaker of this House and I’m in Rhode Island government, you will have a friend in state government,” he pledged to the attending advocates and older adults.

The Warwick lawmaker shared how his 99-year-old father, who is battling Alzheimer’s and has mobility issues, has given him a personal understanding of older Rhode Islanders’ desire to remain at home—insight that has shaped his aging policy agenda.

Shekarchi highlighted several recent legislative successes, including the expansion of the Medicare Savings Program after 14 years of advocacy, which will save low-income beneficiaries over $2,000 annually. He also cited the state’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Law, which allows in-law apartments or “granny flats” (in the colloquial), to help residents age in place in their homes.

Senate President Rep. Lauren Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), also detailed her legislative work on behalf of older Rhode Islanders. As Chair of the House Study Commission on Aging, she announced her intention to introduce legislation to make the commission permanent to help guide the state’s aging policy.

Another planned bill for next year would replace the term “senior citizen” with “older Rhode Islander” in state law to promote a more positive view of aging.

Maria Cimini, Director of the State’s Office of Healthy Aging, stressed that the guiding principle of her office’s work was to ensure older Rhode Islanders had the “choice to age as they wished” with dignity and independence.

She pointed out a significant demographic shift, noting that Rhode Island now had more people over 65 than under 18. “We are all aging. My goal is to be sure that Rhode Island is a great place to grow up and grow old,” she says.

A panel discussion followed the keynote, covering practical aspects of end-of-life planning, including legal documents such as wills and trusts, funeral pre-planning, financial planning for dependents with disabilities, suicide prevention, and the role of the long-term care ombudsman.

To watch SACRI’s Sept. 25^th program, go to https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/11543?site=1

New Local Documentary Confronts Ageism in Society

Published in RINewsToday on August 12, 2024

Big News. After three years in fundraising, filming and production, Filmmaker Michelle Le Brun is poised to showcase her new 55-minute document, “Optics of Aging,” on Oct. 15 at 5:00 pm., at the Providence Public Library in the Donald Farish Auditorium.

This full-length documentary’s premiere is support by The Rhode Island Foundation, The Robertson Foundation, RI State Council on the Arts and The Providence Public Library, and about $11,423 raised on GoFundMe (goal set at $20,000).

In “Optics of Aging”, stereotypes of ageism dissolve and the beauty of aging is revealed through five Rhode Island elders who have shaped the landscape of Rhode Island and beyond, says Le Brun. “Their voices take flight against the backdrop of archival imagery that captures the vision of an earlier time,” she said.

This is not Le Brun’s “first rodeo” in making documentaries. Her first film Death: A Love Story premiered at Sundance film Festival in competition in 1999 (now available now in over 500 universities in the U.S. and Canada), It won Best Documentary at Santa Barbara film festival and got several honors at other film festivals. It enjoyed seven different kinds of distribution over 20 years. She also teaches in the Film Media Department at the University of Rhode Island (URI).

The Epiphany…

According to Le Brun, the subject of aging is front and center in our country right now. How old is too old? Is age really just a number? Regardless of one’s answer to these questions, we all have ageist stereotypes that we grow up with from a very young age.

At age 61, the Providence filmmaker had an epiphany about her own aging. “I had all kinds of negative images in my mind about what it means to grow old. Images of decrepitude and rapidly decreasing health, not being able to get up the 41 stairs to my home, isolated,” she remembered.

“But I also knew people in their 90s who were nothing like my conditioned images of the elder years. The more I looked around, I began to notice that in fact, there were many people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s that defied the images I had of what it means to be an elder,” says Le Brun.

“So, I thought I would reach out to them and ask about their lives and their feelings about aging,” notes Le Brun. ”There are so many very interesting and unique elders in our community, I had a hard time deciding who to interview. I decided the common element that would pull them all together is that they had each done something at some point in their lives that contributed to the character of Rhode Island,” she added.

“From there, I found various people word-of-mouth except Phil West who I already knew from University of Rhode Island, adds Le Brun.

“And one of the things I have realized in making this film, is that we are all a thread in the tapestry of this place; of Rhode Island – of any place we call home. Our home is living and breathing, ever changing. We shape the place we live in as it in turn shapes us,” she stated.

Five Elder Voices

On her website, Le Brun notes: “The five elders’ take flight against the backdrop of archival imagery that captures the vision of an earlier time in Rhode Island when the state confronted challenges that required creative solutions. The ideas of these forward thinkers changed lives and shaped legends and legacies during times of vast sociocultural change. Through these stories, our community remembers its past to inform a future that maintains the unique character of Rhode Island.

These five elder Rhode Islanders raise awareness and challenge society’s stereotypes around aging and celebrate the elder years. “Their personal narratives create a tapestry of perspectives that showcase the beauty, resilience, and wisdom that comes with advancing age,” says Le Brun.

And their backgrounds are detailed on the Optics of Aging web site:

“Linda Miller (90 years young at filming), the woman behind Lippitt Hill Tutorial, later renamed Inspiring Minds, that alleviated the stressors of 1960’s desegregation in Providence schools and delivered significant improvements in student’s academic performance. Her stalwart values have guided her life from education reformer to psychotherapist, which she is still doing today! Her wisdom about aging shines through her ever-present humor.”

“Phil West (77 years young when interviewed in 2019) long-time state director of Common Cause and author of Secrets and Scandals: Reforming Rhode Island1986-2006.The Providence Journal dubbed him “The Godfather of Political Reform in Rhode Island.” The key to his pursuit of ethical government over the decades was establishing a Separation of Powers amendment in the Rhode Island Constitution. Phil’s quiet passion for justice resonates deeply.

“Aly Stallman (90 years young when he died in 2019) entrepreneur and Ironman triathlete in his 50s, also Founder and President of the Ocean State Marathon in Newport, RI. In the feature film, Aly has just told his doctors that he wants no more treatments. He shares his feelings about his imminent death with grace and poignancy”.

“Morris Nathanson (95 years young when he died in 2022) who co-designed De Pasquale Square in Providence, the first Dunkin’ Donuts, and was one of the founding designers for Trinity Repertory Theater. He has shaped the sights and sounds of Providence and abroad through his landmark architectural restaurant designs. The warmth in community of growing up in Pawtucket has shaped his whole life.”

“Mildred Nichols (90 years young when interviewed in 2019). Beloved community leader, was a founding member of the Rhode Island Women’s Political Caucus, served on the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education and was Director of Career Counseling Services at the Rhode Island Department of Education where she was instrumental in providing out reach to women known as ‘displaced’ homemakers. Mildred is also a descendent of Joseph Trammel. She shares with us his freedom papers and her moving gratitude.”

As Le Brun says, “ageism is the last “ism” it seems still ok to have. Let’s change that!”

Working alongside Le Brun were Ryan Bliss (Editor), Milana Cepeda (Composer), Becca Bender (Archival Producer), Roxanne Ducharme, in Panama (Graphic Design and Animation), and Mauro Colangelo in Italy (Post-Production Audio and Mix). An international team.

To register for the premiere and join the discussion at Providence Public Library, go to https://provlib.libcal.com/event/12675871 .

For updates and future screenings go to: https://www.opticsofaging.com/

To fund Optics of Aging’s outreach, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/optics-of-aging-beyond-the-number

Checking That off My Bucket List

This ‘Age Beat’ Writer to Publish Collected Stories on a Myriad of Aging Issues

Published in Woonsocket call on August 7, 2016

With the graying of America, a growing number of aging Baby Boomers and seniors are turning to newspapers, television and cable shows and even the Internet to learn more about growing old. This “age beat” coverage percolates up from the bottom of a newsroom, often with middle-aged reporters and editors/producers who are now facing the elder care issues of their elderly parents or in-laws, says San Francisco-based journalist Paul Kleyman, who edits Generations Age Beat Online (GBONews.org), an e-newsletter of the Journalists Network on Generations, distributed to more than 1,000 journalists and authors on aging. They discover “what a huge, untold story it is,” he notes.

Over the years, like many of the nation’s news organization’s The Pawtucket Times, created an ‘Age Beat’ in 2002 that allowed this writer for several years to cover a myriad of aging issues, including Social Security and Medicare, ethics, long-term care, consumer issues, spirituality, pop culture, health care and economics. Ultimately I returned in July 2012 to resume writing of my weekly commentary, with The Woonsocket Call picking it up. My ‘Age Beat’ at these Northern Rhode Island daily newspapers continues to this day.

As an ‘age beat’ journalist for over 36 years, I have penned more than 600 stories covering aging, health care and medical issues. These authored and coauthored pieces have appeared in national, state and local trade and association publications, daily, weekly and monthly newspapers and even news blogs.

AARP Rhode Island recognized my journalistic efforts to educate the public on aging issues in Amy weekly commentaries that appeared in The Pawtucket Times when I received AARP Rhode Island’s 2003 Vision Award. My efforts in covering the long-term care continuum caught the attention of the American College of Health Care Administrators and I became a two time recipient, in 1994 and again in 1999, of its Journalism Award. I also was awarded the Distinguished Alumni’s Award by the Center for Studies in Aging, North Texas State University, in 1997, for my career coverage of aging issues. In 1997, the prestigious McKnight’s LTC News identified me as one of its “100 Most Influential People” in Long-Term Care.

Crossing ‘One Thing to Do’ Off My Bucket List

As a seasoned writer I can now cross off the publishing of my first book from my life’s bucket list. My first book, a collection of 79 newspaper commentaries, will be published shortly by Chepachet-based Stillwater River Publications. Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly, brings together this collection published in the Pawtucket Times, and Woonsocket Call, each article citing the date it was published.

Although a commentary in this book may have been written years ago, and the person quoted is no longer in his or her position or even deceased, the insight that they gave in their interview is still factual and valuable. While most of my sources are from Rhode Island, their stories are universal and their insights applicable anywhere in the nation.

The 291 page book is chock full of researched stories and insightful interviews with experts and everyday people who have shared their personal observations about growing older. The stories cover a variety of aging issues ranging from caregiving and retirement planning, health and wellness, mental health, preplanning your funeral, choosing the right nursing home, Social Security and Medicare, and pop culture to thoughts about spirituality and death.

A short summary on the back of the book says, “Don’t just grow older, take charge and age boldly!” The collection of stories, organized in 13 chapters offers readers – age 50 plus and even those younger – insights and practical information as to how they can plan and enjoy a full and satisfying quality of life unparalleled in our history. With increasing lifespans, Americans are living longer, decades after our retirement.

In Praise of…

In the foreword of this book, Kathleen S. Connell State Director of AARP Rhode Island, sets the stage for readers as to what they can expect from reading this book. “He moves beyond the surface to explore the facts as well as the depth of feelings beneath it. In this era of speed and change, with eternal youth as a major goal, he takes the time to find the truth, and then uses it to illuminate the many facts of aging with timeless observations delivered in lively readable portions, says Connell. Meanwhile, short pithy statements on the back cover of Taking Charge: Collective Stories on Aging Boldly, from well-known Rhode Islanders and national aging experts give their thumbs up and endorsement of this book. Specifically:

“Herb Weiss’ book gives practical information for caregivers and a foreshadowing for those of us approaching retirement years. Links keep the information fresh.” — Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, former President of Rhode Island College.

“Herb Weiss reminds our anti-aging society that becoming pro-aging can bring us greater rewards than mere wrinkle cream and tummy tucks.” — Paul Kleyman, Publisher of Generations Beat Online, the E-News of the Journalist Network on Generations

‘Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly’ is more than a book about aging well. What it actually reveals is how to live well. Each page crackles with insight, perspective and good advice. There’s a lot of hard-earned wisdom to be found on these pages.” —John O’Connor, Editorial Director at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News

“These stories within stories blend real-world wisdom and research to create an engaging and enlightening view of the many sides of aging that is both informative and inspiring.” —Dr. Phil Clark, Director of Gerontology Program, University of Rhode Island

“Herb Weiss’ unique experience as a journalist, congressional aide, arts and culture critic and aging expert come together beautifully in this rich sweep of commentary on aging in America today.” — William Benson, Managing Principal in Health Benefits and former Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Administration on Aging

“Herb Weiss knows well the power of the personal story to both teach and learn. Aging brings changes and challenges, whether we are a caregiver, the one in care, or anyone who is dealing with his or her own aging.” —Connie Goldman, Speaker, Author, and Public Radio Producer on Aging Issues.

Everybody Has Their Story to Tell

Yes, the stories in Taking Charge: Collective Stories on Aging Boldly, clearly show that everyone has their own story to tell, a personal life experience that just might provide a road map to the reader on how to age better and even living a longer and healthier life.

Like my fellow Age Beat colleagues, I will continue to bring my readers in the Pawtucket Times and Woonsocket Call the latest, most informative coverage of aging, medical and health-care issues you need to know about in future articles, even books.

The price of Taking Charge: Collective Stories on Aging Boldly is $20 (includes free shipping and handling). Just ask — I am glad to sign copies of your book. For purchasing information email, hweissri@aol.com.