Officials of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center have honored John R. Burton, former director of the Johns Hopkins Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, by renaming the center's geriatrics building in his honor. Now called the John R. Burton Pavilion, the building houses many of Bayview's long-term-care programs.

At the unveiling ceremony earlier this month, Burton was cited for his leadership in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins and across the United States. "Our patients and trainees are the beneficiaries of Dr. Burton's vision," said Ron Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Health System. "In addition to recognizing his innovations and leadership, we want to match the name of this gentleman with the name of this building."

Burton nurtured and guided the geriatrics program at Johns Hopkins for nearly 35 years. He continues to remain active at Hopkins, where he helps direct the Geriatric Education Center to develop programs for health professionals working in the eastern half of Maryland; sees patients; performs research; and teaches in the Division of Geriatric Medicine. He also directs a five-year grant to the American Geriatrics Society titled "Increasing Geriatrics Expertise in Surgical and Related Medical Specialties" and holds leadership positions in several prominent national organizations dedicated to promoting geriatrics.