Herb Weiss, 70, originally from Dallas, moved to Pawtucket over 30 years ago. Since 1980, he has had a distinguished journalism career, gaining national and state recognition as an expert on aging, healthcare, and medical issues. In September 2022, Herb was appointed Deputy Director of Senior Services at the Leon Mathieu Senior Center.
In Pawtucket, Herb writes a weekly “Age Beat” editorial on aging issues for the Blackstone Valley Call & Times (formerly the Pawtucket Times and Woonsocket Call, from 2000-2004 and 2012 to present) and RI News Today (since 2019). Since 2016, his cover stories also appear in Senior Digest, a monthly publication for seniors. He is a published author of three books.
Throughout his 45-year writing career, Herb has authored or co-authored over 1,100 articles in national and Rhode Island newspapers and trade publications. The James P. Adams Library at Rhode Island College (RIC) will house digital copies of all his published articles, along with copies of reports written, newsletters and newspapers that he has edited. This collection, titled, “Herb Weiss papers,” covers 45 years of reporting on health care aging and medical issues, will be available to RIC students, researchers and health care programs across the nation.
From 1985 to 1993, he oversaw editorial content for seven nationally published trade newsletters and newspapers, including roles as Founding Editor of Aging Network News and Senior Living (now Prime Time), and editor of various medical-related newsletters.
Picture Credit (Patricia S. Zacks)
In 1996, Herb coauthored a major mental health report, “Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Care of Nursing Home Residents with Nancy B. Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged Research and Training Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, Barry S. Fogel, M.D., Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and Gail K. Robinson, Ph.D., Mental Health Policy Resource Center, Washington, DC. The report detailed the findings of a two-day scientific and public policy conference held to develop policy options and recommendations to improve mental health care of nursing home residents.
Herb has also covered Capitol Hill, writing the Capitol Report for The Journal of Long-Term Care Administration and the Washington Report for Contemporary Long-Term Care. He was accredited by the House Press Gallery to cover Congress in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He has served on editorial advisory boards for numerous publications related to long-term care, including The Brown LTC Quality Letter, McKnight’s LTC News, Aging Network News, The Journal of Long-Term Care Administrators, and Contemporary Long-Term Care.
Herb’s work on aging issues has been widely recognized. He received the 2003 AARP Rhode Island Vision Award, two National Awards from the American College of Health Care Administrators (1994 and 1999), the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Center for Studies in Aging at the University of North Texas (1997), and was named one of the “100 Most Influential People” in long-term care by McKnight’s LTC News in 1997.
In 1999, in recognition of my journalistic advocacy for older Americans, he was given the highest honor award by the Governor of Kentucky, a commission as a Kentucky Colonel.
In 2014, Herb co-edited an e-book with Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, president of Rhode Island College, documenting the emails of Rhode Island social activist Richard Walton. vHe also published three collections of articles for seniors: “Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly” (2016) and its sequel “Taking Charge: Vol 2: More Collected Stories on Aging Boldly” (2021) and the latest, Taking Charge Vol 3: Even More Stories on Aging Boldly (2025).
Herb holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a social work certificate from the University of Texas (1977), a Masters of Arts, Studies in Aging in 1977 and a Specialist Certificate in Aging from North Texas State University (now called University of North Texas in 1979. He also completed 24 credits towards a doctorate in public policy and aging at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Recognized as an expert on aging, Herb has been appointed to the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Aging by five governors and to the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Treatment by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio in 2021.
Proud member of the Association of RI Authors
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