Dr. Nace is an Associate Professor whose primary research interest focuses on infectious disease in older adults, particularly COVID-19, antimicrobial stewardship, and vaccine preventable diseases. Present work includes evaluating the impact of ringed approach to management of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care (LTC) facilities, and characterizing antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination in older LTC residents. Through a series of AHRQ funded studies, Dr. Nace lead a team developing the first evidence supported, consensus based treatment guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in frail LTC residents. In a national dissemination and implementation study funded by AHRQ, use of the guidelines resulted in a 27% reduction in unnecessary antimicrobial use for UTI, and was associated with a two-thirds lower risk of Clostridium difficile infection. Continued work on this project focuses on improving training and uptake of the guidelines. He is also working with colleagues to improve construction and utilization of antibiograms in LTC facilities. Currently, Dr. Nace serves as the physician lead on a CDC grant that seeks to improve staff and resident immunizations across all LTC populations and settings. He also focuses work on the association between frailty, sarcopenia and vaccine response.
Additional areas of collaborative research involvement center around reducing unnecessary admissions and readmissions among nursing home residents (CMMI funded demonstration project), inter-professional education (CMMI funded demonstration project and Macy Foundation), osteoporosis (NIH/NIA funded research), adverse drug events (AHRQ), and dementia care (Donaghue Foundation).
As Clinical Chief of Geriatric Medicine, Dr. Nace leads the Division’s clinical efforts which span hospital-based care, outpatient care, and long-term care (LTC). He is co-leading the implementation of the UPMC Center for Cognitive Health which takes a population health approach to those persons experiencing dementia as well as the cognitive impact of long-haul COVID-19. His long-standing work in LTC outbreak detection and response successfully prepared UPMC Senior Communities for the COVID-19 pandemic. This work served as the model for the LTC-based Regional Response Health Collaborative program that Dr. Nace helped pioneer in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other academic health centers. The RRHCP program provided onsite infection control assessments and critical COVID-19 outbreak assistance to the Commonwealth’s LTC facilities.
- MD, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1990
- MPH, University of Pittsburgh, 1995
- Internal Medicine Internship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 1991
- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 1993
- Geriatrics Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 1995
Education & Training
Weber, D., Al-Tawfiq, J., Babcock, H., Bryant, K., Drees, M., Elshaboury, R., Essick, K., Mohamad, F., Henderson, D., Javaid, W., Juffras, D., Jump, R.L.P., Lee, F., Malani, A.N., Mathew, T., Murthy, A.R., Nace, D., O'Shea, T., Pettigrew, E., Pettis, A.M., Schaffzin, J., Shenoy, E.S., Vaishampayan, J., Wiley, Z., Wright, S.B., Yokoe, D., Young, H. Multisociety statement on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination as a condition of employment for healthcare personnel. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 2021
Bariola, J.R., McCreary, E.K., Wadas, R.J., Kip, K.E., Marroquin, O.C., Minnier, T., Koscumb, S., Collins, K., Schmidhofer, M., Shovel, J.A., Wisniewski, M.K., Sullivan, C., Yealy, D.M., Nace, D.A., Huang, D.T., Haidar, G., Khadem, T., Linstrum, K., Seymour, C.W., Montgomery, S.K., Angus, C.D., Snyder, G.M. Impact of Bamlanivimab Monoclonal Antibody Treatment on Hospitalization and Mortality Among Nonhospitalized Adults With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 2021; 8(7)
Nace, D.A., Kip, K.E., Mellors, J.W., Peck Palmer, O.M., Shurin, M.R., Mulvey, K., Crancall, M., Sobolewski, M.D., Enick, P.N., McCormick, K.D., Jacobs, J.L., Kane, A.L., Lukanski, A., Kip, P.L., Wells, A. Antibody Responses After mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccination in Residential Older Adults: Implications for Reopening. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2021; 22(8): 1593-1598.
Nace, D.A., Hanlon, J.T., Crnich, C.J., Drinka, P.J., Schweon, S.J., Anderson, G., Perera, S. A Multifaceted Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Cystitis in Nursing Home Residents. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2020; 180(7): 944-951.
Nace, D.A., Perera, S.K., Hanlon, J.T., Saracco, S., Anderson, G., Schweon, S.J., Klein-Fedyshin, M., Wessel, C.B., Mulligan, M., Drinka, P.J., Crnich, C.J. The Improving Outcomes of UTI Management in Long-Term Care Project (IOU) Consensus Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Uncomplicated Cystitis in Nursing Home Residents. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2018; 19(9): 765-769.
Hanlon, J.T., Perera, S., Drinka, P.J., Crnich, C.J., Schweon, S.J., Klei-Fedyshin, M., Wessel, C.B., Saracco, S., Anderson, G., Mulligan, M., Nace, D.A. The IOU Consensus Recommendations for Empirical Therapy of Cystitis in Nursing Home Residents. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2019; 67(3): 539-545.
Nace, D.A., Drinka, P.A., Crnich, C.J. Clinical uncertainties in the approach to long term care residents with possible urinary tract infection. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2014; 15(2): 133-9.
Nace, D.A., Lin, C.J., Ross, T.M., Saracco, S., Churilla, R.M., Zimmerman, R.K. Randomized, controlled trial of high-dose influenza vaccine among frail residents of long-term care facilities. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2015; 211(12): 1915-24.
Nace, D.A., Archbald-Pannon, L.R., Ashraf, M.S., Drinka, P.J., Frfentzel, E., Gaur, S., Mahajan, D., Mehr, D.R., Mercer, W.C., Sloane, P.D., Jump, R.L.P. Pneumococcal Vaccination Guidance for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Settings: Recommendations From AMDA's Infection Advisory Committee. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2017; 18(2): 99-104.
Nace, D.A., Handler, S.M., Hoffman, E.L., Perera, S. Impact of the raising immunizations safely and effectively (RISE) program on healthcare worker influenza immunization rates in long term care settings. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2012; 13(9): 806-10.
- Commitment and Excellence in Service Award, UPMC Aces, 2011, 2021
- Member, PA Department of Aging LTC Council, 2016-present
- Member, PA Department of Health LTC Regulatory Work Group, 2017-present
- AMDA/ABIM Choosing Wisely Campaign Champion, 2019
- Member, PA Department of Health Advisory Health Board, 2019-present
- Member, Pneumococcal Vaccine Work Group, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2020-present
- Member, National Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes, 2020
- President, AMDA-The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, 2020-2021
- Grand Champion Award, UPMC Senior Commmunities Senior Champion, 2021
- Immediate Past President, AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, 2021-2022
