Dr. Laird is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Geriatrics at the Florida State University School of Medicine. Dr. Laird also now serves as a Principal Investigator for ClinCloudResearch in Viera, Florida. Dr. Laird was a Geriatrician with the AdventHealth Medical Group and the Medical Director of the Maturing Minds Memory Disorder Clinic at AdventHealth, Orlando Florida for 6 years.

She was previously the founding Medical Director of Health First Aging Services and the Center for Family Caregivers in Melbourne, Florida. Her dedication to her community, her patients, and their caregivers earned her recognition as a Space Coast Humanitarian in 2011.

Dr. Laird received her medical degree with honors from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where she earned the rank of Chief Resident. She then pursued a fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of Kansas, where she also earned a Masters in Health Services Administration.

A consummate advocate for seniors and family caregivers, Dr. Laird is a respected authority on the care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive issues. She is co-author of the 2009 Best Consumer Health Book called Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss. She has authored multiple articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Dr. Laird is a Fellow of the American Geriatrics Society and received the Society’s Clinician of the Year award in 2013. In December 2018, Dr. Laird was appointed by then Governor Rick Scott to the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee.

Dr. Laird began to work with Fred in his last year of life and is herself becoming known as an expert in the development of healthcare culture focused on the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, and cost-effective care, for every patient in every setting.

After Fred’s passing, Fred’s wife Aura, Dr. Laird, and Publisher Jerry Pogue made final plans for the book Beyond Disney: Heartwiring Healthcare Excellence.

She speaks to audiences about the Heartwiring approach to applying the heart of medicine into rigorous and challenging clinical settings as well as developing an effective workplace culture, improving the patient experience for all patients, caring for the caregivers (both family and staff), and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Laird is a passionate advocate for the support of family caregivers, front-line workers, and healthcare providers.