Dr. Israel Cross

PhD, MA, CAPS, ECHM, CDP

Public Health Gerontologist & President of NAIPC
National Aging In Place Council

Website: https://www.ageinplace.org/

Dr. Israel Cross is a passionate public health gerontologist and Commissioned Corps officer in the United States Public Health Service with over 15 years of experience addressing the complex, multigenerational challenges of aging across the life course. With deep expertise in healthcare delivery, quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI), and community engagement, he is committed to improving access to high-quality care for older adults and caregivers.

As President of the National Aging in Place Council, Dr. Cross champions the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of aging individuals, promoting preventive strategies and system-level solutions that strengthen support across generations. His contributions to national patient safety span diverse care settings—from Federally Qualified Health Centers to nursing homes and end-stage renal disease facilities—where he has helped shape and implement meaningful quality improvement initiatives.

Dr. Cross, a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and Dementia Practitioner, holds a doctorate in gerontology and has been instrumental in shaping national QAPI regulations impacting more than 16,000 nursing homes. His leadership contributed to the development of best practices, identification of technical assistance needs, and creation of toolkits that enable facilities to close quality gaps, sustain improvements, and implement innovative strategies to address systemic barriers to high-quality care.

With a strong track record in program evaluation, strategic partnerships, and stakeholder engagement, Dr. Cross continues to lead transformative efforts in public health and aging.