The Authors

Christine Himes, M.D.

Dr. Chris Himes is a family physician and geriatrician at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Washington, where she is a clinician and the Director of Geriatrics. She has worked and lectured extensively in the areas of preventive care for seniors, the management of chronic conditions, and the field of exercise physiology in aging.

As a member of the Steering Committee for the National Blueprint for Increasing Physical Activity sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Himes is currently leading work to develop a national training tool for physicians for writing exercise prescriptions and has developed, with her patients, an exercise video for the frail elderly. Her interests have focused on healthy aging; since testifying before Congress in 2002 on appropriate preventive care strategies for the Medicare population, she has worked extensively with Congressional staffers on developing a national preventive care bill to improve the quality of care for all seniors.

Elizabeth N. Oettinger, M. Div.

Elizabeth Oettinger is Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Corvallis, Oregon, with her Master of Divinity from Yale University. She previously served churches in Seattle, and Duluth, Minnesota. Ms. Oettinger also holds a Master’s degree in Medical Ethics and has extensive experience in patient and family counseling in hospitals, hospices and other care settings. She has served as a board member of Hospice of Duluth, Providence Hospice of Seattle, and Benton Hospice Service in Corvallis.

Prior to becoming a minister, Ms. Oettinger was a member of the Board of Editors, American Heritage Magazine. She also co-edited The Family Carebook: A Comprehensive Guide for Families of Older Adults.

Dennis E. Kenny, J.D.

Dennis Kenny is co-founder and president of Caresource Healthcare Communications, Inc., in Seattle, Washington. Created in 1989, Caresource specializes in helping health care and senior service providers fulfill their patient, client, family, and community education responsibilities. In partnership with clients nationwide, he has authored or supervised the development of hundreds of healthy aging booklets, brochures, newsletters, videos, and websites.

Mr. Kenny’s interest and expertise in the legal and financial aspects of aging and eldercare began prior to establishing Caresource. From 1976 to 1989, he practiced law with the national law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, where he was a partner, chairman of the firm’s Health Law Practice Group, and Managing Partner.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Washington School of Law, and is a current board member and past board president of Providence Hospice of Seattle.