Loading Complete
Cynthia Boyd

Cynthia Boyd, MD, MPH

Geriatric Medicine

Accepting New Patients

Highlights

Age Groups Seen

  • Older Adult 65+

Languages

  • English

Gender

Female

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Cynthia Boyd

Professional Titles

  • Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Medicine

Johns Hopkins Physician

Logo for Johns Hopkins Physician

Background

Dr. Cynthia Boyd is Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Boyd is the Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. She holds a joint appointment in Health Policy and Management and Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Boyd is a core faculty member at the Center for Transformative Geriatric ResearchJohns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health and the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center to Advance Policy in Aging and Disability.

A former Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholar and a Beeson Scholar, Dr. Boyd is trained in internal medicine, geriatric medicine and epidemiology. Dr. Boyd’s career has focused on improving the health and well-being of older adults with multiple chronic conditions, with robust research and mentoring programs that have helped launch the careers of multiple junior faculties, fellows, medical students and other learners.

She earned her M.D. from the Duke University School of Medicine and her M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and performed a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Dr. Boyd has been recognized with several honors, including the American Geriatric Society’s Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award, election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and Fellowship in the American College of Physicians and the American Geriatric Society.  Her research has been funded by the NIH, AHRQ, PCORI, and foundations. 

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Research Interests

Chronic Disease Care, Cognitive Decline, Deprescribing, Functional Recovery, Multiple Chronic Conditions, Older People, Polypharmacy, Quality of Life

Lab Website

Cynthia Boyd Lab

  • Research in the Cynthia Boyd Lab concentrates on the clinical care of comorbid chronically ill and frail older adults, both chronically and during acute illnesses. Current projects focus on the treatment burden among older adults with multimorbidity, the importance of competing risks in decision-making for the elderly, the effects of guided care on the quality of care and the improvement of clinical practice guidelines for the elderly.

Selected Publications

  • Boyd CM, Darer JD, Boult C, Fried LP, Boult L, Wu AW. Clinical practice guidelines and quality of care for older patients with multiple comorbid diseases: implications for pay for performance. JAMA. 2005 Aug 10;294(6):716-24.

  • Boyd CM, Leff L, Bellantoni J, Rana N, Wolff JL, Roth DL, Carl K, Sheehan OC. Interactions between physicians and skilled home health care agencies in the certification of Medicare beneficiaries - Plan of care - Results of a nationally representative survey. Ann Intern Med. 2018 May 15;168(10):695-701. doi: 10.7326/M17-2219

  • Bennett WL, Robbins CW, Bayliss EA, Wilson R, Tabano H, Boyd CM et al. Engaging stakeholders to inform clinical practice guidelines that address multiple chronic conditions. J Gen Intern Med. 2017 Aug;32(8):883-890.

  • Reeve E, Wolff JL, Skehan M, Bayliss EA, Hilmer S, and Boyd CM. Attitudes towards deprescribing: results of a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Dec 1;178(12):1673-1680

  • Steinman M, Boyd CM, Schmader K. Expanding evidence for clinical care of older adults: Beyond clinical trial traditions and finding new approaches. JAMA 2021 Aug 10;326(6):475-476. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.12134

Honors

  • ASCI, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 4/30/21
  • Outstanding Committee Service Award for the AGS Research Committee, 1/1/20
  • Fellow, American Geriatric Society, 1/1/16
  • Discovery Fund Synergy Award, Johns Hopkins, 1/1/14
  • Fellow, American College of Physicians, 1/1/14
  • Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award, American Geriatric Society, 1/1/10
  • Beeson Scholar, American Federation for Aging Research, 1/1/09
  • Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholar, 1/1/08
  • Presidential Poster Session, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/07
  • American Geriatric Society New Investigator Award, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/07
  • Presidential Poster Session, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/05
  • Best Epidemiology Paper, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/05
  • Bayview Scholar, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Center for Innovative Medicine, 1/1/05
  • Presidential Poster Award: Clinical Practice Guidelines and Older Adults with Multiple Comorbid Conditions, Models of Geriatric Care, American Geriatric Society, 1/1/03
  • Presidential Poster Session, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/02
  • Clinical Research Fellow Award, Department of Medicine Annual Retreat, Johns Hopkins University, 1/1/01
  • Presidential Poster Session, Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, 1/1/01
  • Geriatric Medicine Fellow, John A. Hartford Foundation, 1/1/01
  • Albert C. Schweitzer Fellow, North Carolina, 1/1/95
  • Pathology Honor Society, Duke University School of Medicine, 1/1/95
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Duke University School of Medicine, 1/1/95
  • Summer Fellowship, American Heart Association, 1/1/90
  • U.S. Presidential Scholar, New Jersey, 1/1/88

Memberships

  • Agency for Health Care Research and Quality: Prevention Quality Indicators Clinical Expert Panel
  • American Geriatrics Society (AGS), Junior Research Faculty Special Interest Group Steering Committee; Mentoring Program, Co-lead, 2005-2007; Research Committee Annual Meeting, 2005
  • American Geriatrics Society Research Committees Sub Committee on Public Relations and the Foundation for Health in Aging
  • American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, The Potential of Linking Quality of Medical Care with Payment Structures in the German and U.S. Health Care Systems
  • Department of Health and Human Services, Multiple Chronic Conditions Expert Panel
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in COPD Meeting
  • National Institute on Aging, Multiple Chronic Conditions Outcome Measures: Strategic Implementation Workgroup
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA), Comorbidity Task Force
  • National Institute on Aging Meeting on Outcome Measures for Older Persons with Multiple Chronic Conditions
  • National Quality Forum: Steering Committee, Establishing a Measurement Framework for Multiple Chronic Conditions
  • United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Technical Expert Panel, Methods to Assess Benefits and Harms for Preventative Services in Older Adults
  • VA State of the Art Conference: Managing Complexity in Chronic Care, Member
  • Fellow, American College of Physicians
  • Fellow, American Geriatrics Society

Professional Activities

  • American College of Physicians, Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee member, 1/1/15 - 1/1/17
  • American Geriatrics Society Research Committee, Vice Chair, 1/1/19 - 1/1/21
  • American Geriatrics Society's Expert Panel on the Care of Older Adults with Multimorbidity, Chairs: Cynthia Boyd and Matt McNabney, Co-chair, 1/1/12
  • Annual Meeting Subcommittee of the American Geriatrics Society Research Committee, Chair, 1/1/20
  • Bruyere Research Institute, Clinical Guidelines Committee member, 1/1/15 - 1/1/17
  • Department of Health and Human Services, Multiple Chronic Conditions Expert Panel, Member, 1/1/11 - 1/1/12
  • External Advisory Committee, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Promote Center, Co-Chair, 1/1/19
  • National Institute on Aging, Comorbidity Task Force, 1/1/04 - 1/1/05
  • National Institute on Aging, Multiple Chronic Conditions Outcome Measures: Strategic Implementation Workgroup, Workgroup member, 1/1/12
  • National Quality Forum, Steering Committee, 1/1/11
  • NIH/PCORI Meeting on Multiple Chronic Conditions in Context, Research Group Facilitator, 1/1/13
  • Older American Independence Center, University of Maryland, External Advisory Committee, 1/1/19
  • PCORI Project, Consumers United for Evidence-Based HealthCare, By Consumers, for Consumers: Building Capacity and Partnerships to Enhance Patient-centeredness, Advisory Committee member, 1/1/15 - 1/1/18
  • Public Relations Subcommittee of the American Geriatrics Society Research Committee, Co-Chair, 1/1/17
  • The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on The Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults, Committee Member, 1/1/18 - 1/1/20
  • University of Massachusetts, R24 Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth, External Advisory Committee member, 1/1/14

Locations

  1. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
    • 5505 Hopkins Bayview Circle, John R. Burton Pavilion Building Level 02, Baltimore, MD 21224
    • Get Directions

Expertise

Education

  • Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Geriatric Medicine , 2002
  • Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Internal Medicine, 2000
  • Medical Education: Duke University School of Medicine, Medicine, MD, 1997
  • Graduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MPH, 1996

Board Certifications

  • Geriatric Medicine: American Board of Internal Medicine, 2002

Insurance

Search plans
  • Aetna
  • CareFirst
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Geisinger Health Plan
  • HealthSmart/Accel
  • Johns Hopkins Health Plans
  • MultiPlan
  • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
  • Point Comfort Underwriters
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)

Ratings & Reviews

5 out of 5

76 ratings, 28 reviews

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

Search reviews
    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/12/2026

    Asked if I had any concerns.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 3/5/2026

    Dr. Boyd is excellent.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    The world has a first class provider in Dr. Cynthia M. Boyd. Hopkins needs to be appreciative of her expertise and kindness. They are so lucky to have her.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/26/2026

    She's the best.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 2/19/2026

    First time visit and I was very pleased with the time Dr. Boyd spent getting to know me and my present health concerns.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/29/2026

    Dr. Boyd has been very helpful and we hope to receive her input and consultation in the future.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/21/2026

    Excellent, knowledgeable, interested, thorough, thoughtful, consistent, considerate, empathetic

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/8/2026

    Dr Boyd is the best

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/8/2026

    Dr Boyd is awsome. Very caring

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 1/8/2026

    This was a truly excellent visit with Dr. Boyd, and she met my needs in every possible way.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/15/2025

    Dr. Boyd provided the highest level of care to me, was appropriately aware of my history and needs, asked excellent questions, showed a high level of concern about my overall wellbeing, and did an excellent job of recognizing and planning for necessary next steps. I have great gratitude for her kindness and focus on me as a human being.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/11/2025

    Excellent in all aspects

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 12/11/2025

    Great provider

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/6/2025

    Very professional and knowledgeable.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 11/4/2025

    I'm very pleased with my quality of care and would highly recommend to all of my friends.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/30/2025

    Visits are compressed by payors, but adr Boyd is very efficient as well as knowledgeable and compassionate.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 10/16/2025

    The doctor (Cynthia Boyd) is excellent

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/11/2025

    Excellent provider, very caring and very competent. I am very grateful to have her as my doctor.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 9/11/2025

    Dr. Boyd is the best!! Very much patient oriented and very sensitive. Definitely knows her patients.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/28/2025

    Very happy with my provider..

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/14/2025

    Always includes me as a partner in my care. She is a dear friend.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 8/7/2025

    Excellent, very smart, well informed, very caring

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/24/2025

    I couldn't find a better doctor than Cynthia Boyd. She is knowledgeable, compassionate, easy to talk to, and always on point with her recommendations.

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/10/2025

    Fully satisfied

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 7/3/2025

    Outstanding

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/4/2025

    Very thorough, very knowledgeable, very personable, also efficient. Excellent!

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 6/4/2025

    Dr. Boyd is a great provider

    5 out of 5 stars
    Reviewed on 5/29/2025

    Answered all questions. Very nice.