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Last week, Geriatrics fellows Dandan Liu, MD, and Jackie Yuen, MD, taught a session on “Patient Centered Care” to the entire first year class as part of Clinical Interlude, the medical students’ first serious exposure to hospital medicine. As reported by Louise Aronson, MD, Associate Professor in the Division, it’s unusual for fellows to teach such critical information but more remarkable was the way Drs. Yuen and Liu engaged the class of 150 students, commanding their attention through use of at least seven educational techniques and helping them synthesize for themselves and each other the lessons of their hospital experience. With support from Helen Kao, MD, who provided mentorship and the opportunity, both young doctors delivered a virtuoso performance worthy of the best medical educators! |
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Brie Williams, MD, recently delivered the first in a series of trainings on aging and health to San Francisco police officers and lieutenants participating in the Department’s first ever Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program. Dr. Williams’ presentation marked the start of a training partnership between UCSF’s Program for the Aging Century and the City’s new CIT program, which aims to train police officers to effectively handle a variety of crisis situations, including encounters with at-risk elderly and those with physical and mental disabilities. Rebecca Brown and Cyrus Ahalt joined Dr. Williams in facilitating the training.
Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Associate Director of the Program for the Aging Century. Rebecca Brown, MD, MPH, is an Advanced Research Fellow in the Division of Geriatrics. Cyrus Ahalt, MPP, is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Division of Geriatrics. |
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Alex Smith, MD was featured in the Orange County Register in an article titled, Doctors Should Tell Patients the Realities of Aging. Dr. Smith gives his perspectives on discussing prognosis with very elderly patients who may not have a dominant terminal condition. "Studies show patients want to discuss the realities of aging but they may be waiting for the physician to bring it up," says Smith, who is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and a Staff Physician at the San Francisco VA. "Often it's the doctor who doesn't want to talk about it," he says. |
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Louise Walter, MD was quoted in ABC World News in an article titled, Older Adults Get Cancer Screenings Against Recommendations. Most adults 75 and older undergo cancer screenings, even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening for certain cancers in that age group, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Dr. Walter wrote that rather than debate about whether screening in older adults is right or wrong, the more important issue is whether patients are well informed about the benefits of screening and can make decisions based on that knowledge. Dr. Walter is a Professor of Medicine at the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and a geriatrician at the San Francisco VA. |
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Drs. Sei Lee and Deborah Barnes published a paper in Alzheimers Research and Therapy reviewing recent advances in Alzheimers prediction, as well as outlining remaining challenges. They plan on building on their review and will present their ideas at the next Works-In-Progress seminar on 12/14/2011.
Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Dr. Barnes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF. |
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Drs. Alex Smith, Brie Williams, and Bernard Lo published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine suggesting that physicians should offer to discuss prognosis with very elderly patients. Dr. Smith is interested in learning your perspective and invites you to leave comments about this piece at www.geripal.org.
Dr. Smith is an Assistant Professor in Residence
and Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics.
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Josette Rivera, MD presented the curricular innovations of the UCSF Interprofessional Aging and Palliative Care course at the Collaborating Across Borders conference, an international interprofessional education conference held November 19-21 in Tucson, AZ. The conference fostered discussions of interprofessional education, practice and policy in a national and global context by featuring best practices, supporting evidence, and lessons learned. Dr. Rivera is working to position geriatrics prominently within the growing national movement toward interprofessional education. |
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Lisa Leiva, Executive Assistant and Operations Analyst in the Division of Geriatrics, has been accepted to the San Francisco State University Instructional Technologies Masters Program. Lisa will continue working full- time while completing her coursework and will learn how to provide faculty with creative ideas for developing online courses, creating distance learning websites, and integrating emerging technology into the classroom. |
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Louise Aronson, MD MFA, has been invited to present at a national conference on "Integrating Student Research into the Medical School Curriculum" sponsored by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and the New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. Aronson will discuss “The Influence of a Research Experience on Students’ Commitment to Academic Medicine.” The conference will take place on Friday, February 24, 2012 from 8:15 AM - 7:30 PM at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center and the UCSF Pathways to Discovery program which trains the next generation of health care researchers, innovators, and leaders. |
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The GEC Conference Room at the San Francisco VA has a new conference table. The new table is a better fit for the room and allows more space for all the various meetings that take place in this room throughout the day. Thank you Louise Walter, Ken Covinsky and Sarah O'Brien for all your efforts in making this possible. |
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Anna Chang, MD, Elizabeth Chur, Helen Kao, MD, Suzanne Kawahara, MBA and Brie Williams, MD were authors in the November issue of San Francisco Medicine Magazine. The article titled, “Training Clinicians, Building a System for an Aging Century,” discusses what is being done to address the crisis in the health care of older adults in this Aging Century. The Division of Geriatrics is highlighted for its innovations in geriatrics education, clinical care, and research.
Dr. Chang and Dr. Williams are Associate Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Medical Director, Geriatrics Clinical Programs. Suzanne Kawahara is the Deputy Director, Program for the Aging Century with the Division of Geriatrics. |
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Helen Kao, MD was featured in the fall edition of the UCSF Science of Caring Magazine which is published by the School of Nursing. The article highlights the UCSF Heart Failure Program and the people that contribute to its success. Dr. Kao's GeriTraCCC program is noted as a key piece of the program that ensures that frail older adults who are returning home from hospitalization receive a physician housecall within 48 hours of discharge.
Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics Medical Director, Geriatrics Clinical Programs. |
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The Aging Century has reached another demographic milestone: for the first time in history, there are nearly 2 million Americans at least 90 years old, the US Census Bureau reported recently in "90+ in the United States: 2006-2008" (report). “These older Americans herald a new frontier for medicine as well as for society,” said Seth Landefeld, MD, Director of UCSF’s Program for the Aging Century and Chief of the Division of Geriatrics.
The UCSF Program for the Aging Century was founded in 2011 to catalyze the transformation of health care for the oldest Americans www.agingcentury.com |
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Theresa Allison will be presenting research about music and dementia on two very different panels. "Music and Memory, Dementia and Song" will be presented at the Society for Ethnomusicology annual conference on the panel, "Engaging Ethnomusicology and the Health Sciences." Dr. Allison will also be presenting at the annual conference for the Gerontological Society of America on an international panel, "Applying for Ethical Approval in Research on People with Dementia: Stories from the UK, the US and Sweden." Dr. Allison is an Assistant Clinical Professor with a joint appointment in the Division of Geriatrics and the Department of Family and Community Medicine. |
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The UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy will take place at the SF VA Medical Center's Teak Room on Tuesday, 11/8 from 4-5pm. Rebecca Sudore and Eric Widera will be leading a discussion on "Cognitive Changes in the Elderly: Implications for Legal and Health Decisions"
Tuesday November 8, 2011
4:00pm-5:00pm
San Francisco VA Medical Center
Teak Conference Room (1st floor building 200, room 1a122)
4150 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-221-4810 | 877-487-2838 | Directions
More Information
Dr. Widera is Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Director of the Hospice & Palliative Care Service at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, Program Director for the Geriatrics Fellowship at UCSF, and VA Site Director for the UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Sudore is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, a Clinical Research Investigator, and a Hospice and Palliative Care attending. |
On Sunday, an Associated Press story described the shortage of geriatricians: "It's a nationwide shortage and it's going to get worse as the 70 million members of the baby-boom generation — those now 46 to 65 — reach their senior years over the next few decades…. There's roughly one geriatrician for every 2,600 people 75 and older, [and] the ratio is projected to fall to one geriatrician for every 3,800 older Americans by 2030. Compare that to pediatricians: there is about 1 for every 1,300 Americans under 18." The article further reported that "Many young doctors aren't receiving even basic training in caring for older patients. Only 56 percent of medical students had clinical rotations in geriatrics in 2008..." UCSF currently trains 5% of geriatricians who graduated from US medical schools.
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AWARE for All: Clinical Research Education Day is coming to San Francisco this Saturday, November 5th, 2011. The event will be hosted by the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) and will be held at The Center at 1800 Market Street from 10:00am – 4:00pm.
AWARE for All is one-day, free and open to the public, and provides an opportunity for the San Francisco Community to learn about the clinical research process and the lifesaving potential for clinical trial participants and future generations. There is no registration or recruiting for trials; it is simply an outreach and educational initiative that is critically needed to engage the public and those in the healthcare field as partners in -- and beneficiaries of -- clinical research. Many recent reforms and measures have helped improve clinical research. However, until now, little has been done to educate and inform the community, especially minorities and underserved populations, about the process and its value in improving public health. The mission of CISCRP, an independent, non-profit, is to empower individuals to know how and if they would like to be involved in the clinical research process.
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Josette Rivera, MD, founded and will direct a new Special Interest Group for the American Geriatrics Society focused on Interprofessional Education and Practice. The mission of the group is to advance the joint training and team care skills of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and other health professionals who care for older adults. Activities of the Interprofessional Education and Practice special interest group will include AGS annual meeting workshops and symposia that cover interprofessional curricular design, implementation, assessment, and faculty development, among other topics generated by members’ interest, and creation of a national network to promote interprofessional education in geriatrics. The group encourages engagement of the full range of professionals represented at AGS, and will hold its inaugural meeting at the 2012 AGS annual meeting. Anyone interested in joining should email Josette: jarivera@medicine.ucsf.edu.
Josette Rivera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a Housecalls physician in the Division of Geriatrics.
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On October 25th Brie Williams and Cyrus Ahalt hosted an interdisciplinary Roundtable "Older Adults and Realignment: A Consideration of Potential Risks and Benefits Posed by California’s New Policy supported by the Langeloth Foundation and The Program for the Aging Century.
The Roundtable was attended by 25 leaders in the legal, medical and criminal justice fields, including from the Stanford Criminal Justice Research Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, National Veterans Health Administration, and Transitions Clinic, and the Offices of the Public Defender and District Attorney. Several UCSF clinicians brought important medical perspectives to the discussion. The Roundtable developed and achieved consensus on recommendations to improve outcomes for older adults affected by California’s new criminal justice Realignment Policy.
Cyrus Ahalt is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician at the SFVAMC.
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Brie Williams is a co-organizer and will be a moderator in the UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy conference: “Food Deserts: Legal, Social, and Public Health Challenges.” This conference will bring together scholars from health sciences and the law, as well as policymakers, activists, and food industry members, to discuss two important sites where "food deserts" exist (neighborhoods and prisons) where access to a nutritionally-adequate diet is severely restricted. Dr. Williams will moderate the session entitled “Food and Nutrition inCorrectional Institutions” which will consider food issues relevant to prisons and jails including whether policy changes that aim to improve the nutritional value of food served in the correctional setting could be cost-beneficial, and whether such decisions should consider the government's responsibility for the healthcare of prisoners.
Date of conference: October 24th, 2011 At UC Hastings School of Law – Open to the Public, CLE and CME credit available.
Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician at the SFVAMC.
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Twenty five first and second year medical, pharmacy, dental and nursing students (including PhD and entry level nursing students) participate in a workshop in the new Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at the UCSF library to experience what it’s like to manage everyday activities as an older adult facing one or more age-related health challenges. This activity is part of the Interprofessional Aging and Palliative Care (IAPC) Elective, a Geriatric Education Center (GEC) course held in the Fall and Winter quarters, that introduces students to the theory and practice of geriatrics, palliative care and interprofessional teamwork through lectures, seminars/group discussions, self-study and clinical service learning and/or shadowing experiences. Dr. Josette Rivera, Course Director, collaborates with Lynda Mackin (SON), Kirby Lee (SOP) and Susan Hyde (SOD) on the curriculum for this innovative interprofessional education activity. Cary Sweeney, Program Manager for the GEC, coordinates the course.
Dr. Rivera is Assistant Professor with the Division of Geriatrics. |
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The Northern California Geriatric Education Center, directed by Louise Aronson, is co-presenting a day-long conference with the Institute on Aging: “Falls Prevention in Older Adults: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Maintaining Independence” on Wednesday, November 9 at The Event Center, St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco. Topics include: Hip Fractures: Risk and Prevention; Drugs, Falls and Alcohol/Substance Abuse; Accurate Fittings for Assistive Devices and more. CME credit available. Registration is now open.
Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and the Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center.
more info about the conference
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Drs. Sei Lee and Louise Walter published a commentary in the Oct 5 issue of JAMA entitled, “Quality Indicators for Older Adults: Preventing Unintended Harms.” Drs. Lee and Walter argue that current quality indicators encourage more care rather than more appropriate care. Further, Drs. Lee and Walter argue for explicitly addressing life expectancy in prevention quality indicators. Dr Lee was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal Health blog.
Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Associate Director of the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. Dr. Walter is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Co-Director of the UCSF Geriatrics Research Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. |
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On October 1st, Louise Walter, Anna Chodos, Dandan Liu, Veronica Rivera and Jacqueline Yuen, participated in the Longevity Walkathon as Team GeriPal. The walkathon was a big success! Team GeriPal raised over $2000 that will benefit Self-Help for the Elderly (SHFTE)!
Dandan Liu, Anna Chodos, Veronica Rivera and Jaqueline Yuen are Clinical Fellows with the Division of Geriatrics. Louise Walter is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Co-Director of the UCSF Geriatrics Research Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC.
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Cyrus Ahalt will be presenting a poster at the upcoming Health Disparities Research Symposium on Oct. 7th at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center. The paper titled, "Confined to Ignorance: The Absence of Prisoners from National Health Data" is co-authored Brie Williams by has been accepted for publication in a future issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Cyrus Ahalt is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Dr. Ken Covinsky received a R01 grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research, titled “Needs and Outcomes of Elders with Hip Fracture: Supportive, Functional, Palliative.” This 4- year grant will create the information database that is needed to guide policy makers and those planning intervention to better address the supportive and palliative needs of older persons who have hip fracture. There will be a particular focus on the needs of patients who do not return to their prior level of functioning. Collaborators include Geriatrics Division Faculty (Seth Landefeld, Louise Walter, Alex Smith, John Boscardin), Senior Statistician Irena Stijacic Cenzer, Research Associate Sarah O'Brien, and School of Nursing Professor Meg Wallhagen. |
 
Dandan Liu, Anna Chodos, Veronica Rivera, Jacqueline Yuen, Clinical Fellows with the Division of Geriatrics will participate in the Longevity Walkathon, a Bay Area event benefiting Self-Help for the Elderly (SHFTE). Dr. Liu inspired her co-fellows to join the walk as part of a pre-wedding celebration and shares why she supports SHFTE.
“Walking is easy, but for some of my patients, walking is a goal. Since I was in high school, SHFTE offered me the opportunity to serve the elders in the community. Now, being so close to finishing my formal training in medicine, I’m so glad to be able to join in the walk and help raise money for this great organization. Their mission is as obvious as their organization’s name: preserving that “self,” which the sickle of age tries to cut away. As a future geriatrician, I need these community resources to care for my patients, and I get a peace of mind knowing that organizations like SHFTE are being supported financially in return. I’ll never be a marathon runner, but it’s encouraging that while I can walk, I can also help a worthwhile cause.” |
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Ryan McMahan, Staff Research Associate in the Division of Geriatrics will be presenting an abstract at the upcoming Health Disparities Research Symposium, Oct. 7th from 8am-1pm at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center. The abstract is titled, “A New Paradigm of Advance Care Planning Focused on Preparation for Decision Making: Perspectives from Patients and Surrogates”, Co-authors are Shya Castillo, Sara Knight, and Rebecca Sudore.
This abstract includes data from 13 focus groups that were conducted over the past year, where participants were asked about their experiences making medical decisions for themselves or others. 5 steps were identified that will help prepare patients and families to make the complex, ongoing medical decisions that come with serious or chronic illness. |
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Louise Aronson, Director of the UCSF Northern California Geriatric Education Center (NorCal GEC) launched the year-long interprofessional faculty development course “The Challenge of Providing Quality Care for Older Adults: Preparing the Health Professions for the Aging Century” on September 23 at the Laurel Heights campus. Nineteen participants from UCSF and other health professions education settings, representing the disciplines of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, psychology and social work, will complete a total of 160 hours of curriculum that includes best practices in the care of older adults as well as development of skills in teaching and leadership.
Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and the Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center. |
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In September Leslie Kernisan became Acting Associate Medical Director at the Over 60 Health Center, one of the Division's community teaching sites. Dr. Kernisan is looking forward to using the skills she developed during her Quality Scholars fellowship to help the clinic transition to an electronic health record system during the coming year.
Dr. Kernisan is a Clinical Instructor with the Division of Geriatrics and a graduate of the Division of Geriatrics VA Quality Scholars Fellowship. |
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Ken Covinsky is one of the top 12 reviewers for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2010, states the current issue of the Journal. Congratulations, Ken! We’re all glad that you share that red ink with colleagues outside UCSF as well as at home!
Dr. Covinsky is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Edmund G. Brown Sr., Distinguished Professorship in Geriatrics, staff physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Louise Walter received a K24 grant from the National Institute on Aging titled "Midcareer Mentoring Award for Patient-Oriented Research in Aging." This is a 5-year grant that funds 50% of her time to mentor junior investigators in aging research and supports statistical help for her mentees. Dr. Walter is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Co-Director of the UCSF Geriatrics Research Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Chek Wong and Seth Landefeld published “Academic Geriatrics in Singapore” in the International Health Affairs section of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. With a rapidly growing older population, Singapore suffers an acute shortage of Geriatricians. Dr. Wong is a Geriatrician and Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore; he was recently a Fulbright Scholar based in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Landefeld is Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Geriatrics. |
Michael Steinman, MD published an invited commentary this week in Archives of Internal Medicine titled, "Using Patients to Promote Evidence-Based Prescribing". Dr. Steinman’s comments on this issue and an associated study by VA researchers Steve Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz were referenced by major media outlets. Dr. Steinman is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC.
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Rebecca Brown joined the division as a Bechtel Leadership Fellow on September 1, 2011. Dr. Brown completed residency at UCSF in Primary Care/General Internal Medicine and clinical and research fellowships at Harvard Medical School in Geriatric Medicine. She conducts research on the health of homeless older adults. We are delighted to have her here! |
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Michael Steinman, MD was quoted on the cover story of the AARP bulletin titled, "Prescription Drug Side Effects." This article discusses how medications can cause other conditions unrelated to the health problems they're prescribed to treat. Dr. Steiman comments on why older people are rarely included in clinical trials, which test a drug's safety and effectiveness. Dr. Steinman is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
Dr. Sei Lee has received the S. D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation Early Investigator Award for his research on targeting dementia screening. He will use computational modeling methods to determine which patients are more most likely to benefit from dementia tests and treatments currently under development.
Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, a Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence Faculty Scholar and the Associate Director of the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program at the SFVAMC. |
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The Sunday New York Times features Helen Kao’s patient Mochun Li in a story about UCSF’s program to reduce hospital readmissions for patients with heart failure. As Dr. Kao points out, “The hospital is not a friendly place for frail older adults” like Ms. Li, who is doing well with Dr. Kao’s home visits. The UCSF program has reduced readmissions 30%.
Dr.Kao is Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine. She directs the Geriatric Transitions and Comprehensive Care Clinic (GeriTraCCC) at UCSF. |
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Helen Kao, MD has been selected as a member of Cohort 11 of the California Health Care Foundation Health Care Leadership Program. The 2-year Program provides 30 clinically trained health care professionals the experiences, competencies, and skills necessary for effective vision and leadership of our health care system.
Helen Kao is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Medical Director, UCSF Geriatrics Clinical Programs. Recent winner of a recent San Francisco Business Times award as a Physician "Health Care Hero," Dr. Kao also directs UCSF’s Geriatrics Transitions, Consultation, and Comprehensive Care program. |
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Drs. Louise Aronson, Helen Kao and Michi Yukawa were recently in Boston for the Alliance of Academic Internal Medicine’s annual executive leadership course. They were a select group of 32 participants attending the AAIM program which aims to cultivate leaders in academic medicine. Karen Hauer from UCSF’s Division of General Internal Medicine was also attending. Dr. Aronson and Dr. Kao had the opportunity to catch up briefly with former geriatric fellow Angela Hsu (2010) at the AAIM reception. Angela currently provides geriatrics care at a Program for the All-inclusive Care of the Elderly program with the Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard-affiliated program. Angela lives in Cambridge and was just married this summer.
Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and the Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center. Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor with the Division of Geriatrics, Medical Director, Geriatric Transitions, Consultation, and Comprehensive Care (GeriTraCCC). Dr. Yukawa is an Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics and Medical Director of the Community Living Center (SFVAMC). |
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Mike Harper, MD is joining the Foundations of Patient Care (FCP) as the 4th Advisory College Mentor to work with FPC in the role of AC-FPC mentor for the first year class. Dr. Harper is an experienced FPC small group facilitator and has been nominated as an “Outstanding FPC Facilitator.” From 2008-2010, he chaired the UCSF Portfolio Committee. Dr. Harper brings to this position his experiences as the recent chair of the Clinical Studies Steering Committee (which oversees the clinical undergraduate medical curriculum at UCSF), Vice Chief of the Division of Geriatrics, and former program director for the geriatrics fellowship training program.
Dr. Harper is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Chief in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Harper is also Director, Geriatrics & Extended Care Service Line and Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics & Extended Care (SFVAMC) |
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The Spring/Summer 2011 issue of the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence Newsletter has been published. This newsletter has information about the center's leadership, events, students and recent activities.
View Newsletter |
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Christine E. Kistler, MD, MASc; Katharine A. Kirby, MS; Delia Lee, BS; Michele A. Casadei, BS and Louise C. Walter, MD have published an article titled, "Long-term Outcomes Following Positive Fecal Occult Blood Test Results in Older Adults." This article discusses how older adults in the US have low rates of follow-up colonoscopy after a positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) result and the long-term outcomes of these real world practices and their associated benefits and burdens. Dr. Walter is a Professor of Medicine wth the Division of Geriatrics, staff Physician (SFVAMC). Katharine Kirby is a Senior Statistician with the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Kistler is a former Geriatric Fellow with the Division of Geriatrics. |
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Elaine Chow is now a member of the newly formed steering committee of the ADGAP Fellowship Coordinators and Administrators Group. The group was created as a forum for coordinators and administrators to share knowledge and experience surrounding the coordination of geriatric medicine training programs. Elaine Chow is the Education Coordinator for the Division of Geriatrics. |
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The San Francisco Business Times named Helen Kao, MD as one of its three winners as a Physician "Health Care Hero." The awards "recognize exceptional professionals who go above and beyond their job descriptions [and] … inspiring individuals working to improve the health care system and the lives of patients in the Bay Area.” The award spotlights unsung heroes whose work “makes a profound difference in the experience and outcomes of those receiving care." Winners were announced on July 27th in a morning ceremony. Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor with the Division of Geriatrics, Medical Director, Geriatric Transitions, Consultation, and Comprehensive Care (GeriTraCCC).
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The article “Balancing Punishment and Compassion for Seriously Ill Prisoners” by Drs. Brie Williams, Rebecca Sudore, Robert Greifinger (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) and R. Sean Morrison (The Mount Sinai School of Medicine) was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This article discusses compassionate release policies in the criminal justice system which allow eligible, seriously ill prisoners to die outside of prison before completing their sentence. The authors identify clinical flaws and procedural barriers in current compassionate release guidelines. They propose changes to address these flaws including the creation of national, transparent medical eligibility guidelines that reflect the ways that people experience serious medical illness and death and they call for the enhancement of prison-based palliative care programs to provide guidance and symptom control for all seriously ill prisoners. Dr. Williams and Dr. Sudore are both Assistant Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physicians at the SFVAMC. |
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Congratulations to Carla Perissinotto who recently received an award from the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program. The State of California, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) administers the State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) and the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program (STLRP) to assist with the repayment of educational loans for primary healthcare professionals who provide healthcare services in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in California. Carla Perissinotto, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics. |
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Louise Aronson, Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and co-principal investigator, Alicia Fernandez, Professor of Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital, have received a 5-year grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to create new research training opportunities and academic career paths for health disparities population students from UCSF's four health professional schools and for all students interested in health disparities research. The novel educational program, called PROF-PATH: Promoting Research Opportunities Fully-- Prospective Academics Transforming Health, will be part of UCSF’s Pathways to Discovery, which Dr. Aronson directs. Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and the Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center. |
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UCSF Medical Center has reduced hospital readmissions for older heart failure patients by nearly a third, thanks to a program designed to identify ways for hospitals to improve patients' transitions to their homes. Launched in 2008, UCSF’s Heart Failure Program began working with the Division of Geriatric’s new Geriatric Transitions, Consultation and Comprehensive Care (GeriTraCCC) to improve care and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations for the highest risk patients. Helen Kao, MD, GeriTraCCC’s medical director, makes house calls and works with home care providers to manage issues, such as cognitive problems or difficulty sticking with medications that can complicate care. Read more |
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The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit has received an additional year of funding! Congratulations to Michael Harper, Bree Johnston, Linda Chetaitis and the entire ACE team for their continued efforts as they strive to transform the way the VA provides care to Veterans through the Patient-Centered Alternatives to Institutional Extended Care sub- initiative of New Models of Care.
Dr. Harper is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Chief in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Harper is also Director, Geriatrics & Extended Care Service Line and Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics & Extended Care (SFVAMC). Dr. Johnston is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, former Associate Chief for Education Division of Geriatrics and Clinic Director, Geriatrics & Extended Care Service Line. |
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How to Live Forever is a documentary film which is opening up at the Landmark Opera Plaza in San Francisco this Friday, July 8th.
This uplifting documentary redefines the meaning of growing old by celebrating the vitality, spirit and joy of everyday people such as a 92-year-old spear-wielding fisherman, 94-year-old heart surgeon and 101-year-old marathoner. The film also includes thought-provoking interviews with health and longevity experts and offers viewers intriguing ideas on making the most of their lives in a lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining way. It has received great reviews from AARP The Magazine, the NY Times, Roger Ebert and the LA Times. |
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Rebecca Sudore was awarded a grant from the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC). The grant is awarded for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers Dr. Sudore will use a new paradigm of advance care planning that shifts the focus from the pre-specification of life-prolonging procedures to preparing patients to communicate with their surrogates and to actively participate with clinicians in making the best possible in-the-moment decisions. Dr. Sudore will refine and test a preparation guide that includes communication-based skills training to improve engagement in advance care planning. Dr. Sudore is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and staff physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Helen Kao has been selected as a finalist for the San Francisco Business Times Healthcare Heroes Awards. The awards recognize people in the Bay Area who have demonstrated heroism in advancing health care and caring for the ill and disadvantaged. Dr. Kao will be recognized on Wednesday, July 27 at the Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street from 7:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, Geriatric Transitions, Consultation, and Comprehensive Care (GeriTraCCC). |
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Dr. Sandra Moody and colleagues published a paper in the latest issue of Medical Anthropology titled, "Aging Disaster: Mortality, Vulnerability, and Long-Term Recovery among Katrina Survivors." Data from this multiyear, qualitative study of the effects of Hurricane Katrina and flooding in New Orleans, suggest differences in how the elderly cope with disaster. The article offers insight on how ONE MAY define and characterize disasters, and IT illustrateS that long-term catastrophes ''age'' in specific ways. Sandra Moody is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Medical Director of the Home Based Primary Care (SFVAMC). |
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Drs. Mehta, Pierluissi, Boscardin, Walter, Landefeld and colleagues published an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society titled, “A Clinical Index to Stratify Hospitalized Older Adults According to Risk for New-Onset Disability.” This article reviews a clinical index to determine, at admission, risk for new-onset disability among older, hospitalized adults at discharge.
Dr. Mehta is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Boscardin and Dr. Walter are Associate Professors in the Division of Geriatrics and are staff physicians, (SFVAMC) Dr. Landefeld is Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Pierluissi is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit, SFGH. |
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Dr. Widera was the lead author of an article in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management titled, “Approaching Patients and Family Members Who Hope for a Miracle.” This article discusses how belief in miracles is common in the United States and is an important determinant of how decisions are made for those with advanced illness. Eric Widera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service (SFVAMC), and Associate Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program (SFVAMC). |
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Dr. Sandra Moody has been elected as a Fellow in the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). This honor recognizes her contributions to the field of geriatric medicine and to the Society nationally. Fellowship status is awarded to AGS members who have demonstrated a professional commitment to geriatric medicine, contributed to the progress of geriatric care, and are active participants in the Society's activities. Attaining AGSF status within the Society places members in a specially recognized group of healthcare providers who are dedicated to continuing education in geriatrics, teaching and research. Sandra Moody is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Medical Director of the Home Based Primary Care (SFVAMC). |
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The San Francisco General Hospital hosted a visit by Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary for Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration and Madame Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Friday, June 10th, 2011. The purpose of the visit was to highlight the Secretary’s “Partnership for Patients” initiative. This is a $1 billion initiative focusing on reducing harm to patients in the hospital and promoting safer transitions home after hospitalization.
The visit highlighted the SFGH Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit and the Support from Hospital to Home for Elders (SHHE) program. Edgar Pierluissi, hosted the visit on the ACE unit and participated in a roundtable discussion of the values of the ACE and SHHE program. The event was covered by local media. Dr. Pierluissi is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit, SFGH.
Press release
SFGate article |
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Louise Aronson led a team of three authors from other medical schools that published a paper in Clinics in Geriatric Medicine titled “Pressure Ulcers in Long-term Care.” The article reviews the significance, risk factors, pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis, and management of pressure ulcers in long-term care. Dr. Aronson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and the Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center. Wound care is one of her areas of special expertise in geriatrics. |
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Nick Moy’s project titled "Transition of Care from Acute Hospitalization to the Patient Centered Medical Home: An electronic handoff" was selected as one of the top 3 projects in the inagural Quality and Safety Innovation Challenge. The competition was designed to showcase the many different quality improvement and safety projects happening across all three campuses. The Challenge focused on creating an opportunity for trainees, staff, and faculty to work closely together to design and implement innovative solutions aimed at improving patient care. Nick's team included Read Pierce, Adam Templeton, Mary Anne Johnson, and Edgar Pierluissi. Nick is a VA Quality Scholars Fellow at the SFVAMC as well as an internist. |
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Matthew Gonzales and Eric Widera published a paper in Clinics in Geriatric Medicine titled, "Nausea and Other Non-Pain Symptoms in Long-term Care". This article reviews the frequency and management of nonpain symptoms in the long-term care setting, particularly focusing on patients at the end of life. Dr. Gonzales is a Hospice and Palliative Care fellow who will be joining UCSF's Palliative Care Service upon completing his fellowship. Dr. Widera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service (SFVAMC), and Associate Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program (SFVAMC). |
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Eric Widera will be the JAMA "author in the room" on June 15, 2011 (11am- 1pm PDT, 2-3pm ET). Dr. Widera will discuss his JAMA article on the role of the primary care clinician in educating older adult patients and their families about the need for advance financial planning, recognizing signs of possible impaired financial capacity, assessing financial impairments in cognitively impaired adults, recommending interventions to help patients maintain financial independence, and knowing when and to whom to make medical and legal referrals.
Dr. Widera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service (SFVAMC), and Associate Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program (SFVAMC)
Click here for more information
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Mike Harper has been asked by the AGS Executive Committee to Co-Chair a task force on Junior Faculty. The Task Force is charged with examining AGS and ADGAP activities that support the development of junior faculty with an initial focus on those key activities that support the career development of geriatrician junior faculty. Dr. Harper is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Chief in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Harper is also Director, Geriatrics & Extended Care Service Line and Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics & Extended Care (SFVAMC). |
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John Harlow, a research assistant in the Division of Geriatrics, was accepted to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina. We send him our congratulations and wish him the best for this next step in his career! |
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Josette Rivera was one of just 12 faculty members selected for the UCSF Teaching Scholars program for 2011-12. The Teaching Scholars program develops educational leaders and scholars through an intensive seminar series, mentored projects, a network of educational colleagues, and collaborative learning. This year included two reviews for Department of Medicine candidates since there tend to be so very many: one by the Department of Medicine and one by the Office of Medical Education. Dr. Rivera stood out on a long list of applicants as a strong candidate worthy of this significant investment in faculty development. Dr. Rivera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Housecalls Physician. |
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Eric Widera and Sei Lee were quoted in the New York Times article titled 'Figuring the Odds'. This article questions whether the general public should have access to geriatric prognostic indexes. This discussion comes from the anticipated launch a new website created by Drs. Sei Lee, Alex Smith, Eric Widera and Lindsey Yourman. Drs. Lee and Smith are both Assistant Professors of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physicians, SFVAMC. Dr. Widera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service (SFVAMC), and Associate Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program (SFVAMC). Lindsey Yourman is a former 4th year medical student at UCSF and Pre-Doc Research Fellow. |
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Sei Lee published an article entitled, “Risks and Benefits of Implementing Glycemic Control Guidelines in Frail Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus” in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study found that implementing current guidelines on glycemic control led to an immediate increase in the rates of severe hypoglycemia requiring emergency room visits which declined over time. In contrast, guideline implementation also led to a sustained decrease in the rates of hyperglycemia, suggesting that there are both substantial benefits and risks to guideline implementation. Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
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Helen Kao was nominated by her peers as a candidate for UCSF Medical Center’s Exceptional Physician Award which recognizes physicians displaying the characteristics most highly valued at UCSF Medical Center: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence (PRIDE). The outstanding physicians will receive their awards at the medical center's Ninth Annual Honors and Awards Celebration on Thursday, May 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Cole Hall, 513 Parnassus Ave. Dr. Kao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, Geriatric Transitions, Consultation, and Comprehensive Care (GeriTraCCC). |
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On April 14-15, the Division hosted the first Geriatrics Scholarship Award Summit. Led by Eric Widera, the Summit brought 8 internal medicine and family medicine residents selected in a national competition to UCSF to present their work and to explore a career in geriatric medicine. The 2011 Awardees are: Bich-May Nguyen (Boston University), Lauren Gleason (University of Rochester), Laura Heringer (UCLA Olive View), Meera Sheffrin (Stanford), Shabnam Showell (University of Colorado), Becky Brott (Emory), Janet Abou (UCLA), and Nicole Zanin (UC Irvine). The Summit is sponsored by the Bechtel Program for the Aging Century. Dr. Widera is Assistant Professor of Medicine, Staff Physician at SFVAMC, and a John A. Hartford Foundation Scholar. |
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Mike Steinman has published an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society titled, “Geriatric Conditions, Medication Use and Risk of Adverse Drug Events (ADE) in Predominantly Male Oder Veteran Population.” The objective of this study was to determine whether geriatric conditions and functional impairment are independent risk factors for adverse drug events. Findings from the study suggested that common geriatric conditions and instrumental activities of daily living function were not associated with adverse drug events. In the paper, Dr. Steinman concludes although it is important to consider the unique circumstances of each participant, excessive caution in prescribing to older adults with these geriatric conditions may not be warranted. Dr. Steinman is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
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Eric Widera will receive a certificate for completing the UCSF Teaching Scholars Program which will be presented by Dean Sam Hawgood. Dr. Widera has committed significant time acquiring knowledge and skills related to teaching, leadership and educational research by attending weekly sessions to help him fulfill the learning objectives for the program. The accomplishments of Dr. Widera and 12 other teaching scholars will be celebrated with an informal awards ceremony and reception on June 14, 2011. Dr. Widera is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Geriatrics, Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service (SFVAMC), and Associate Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program (SFVAMC). |
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Dr. Alex Li, a graduate of the Division of Geriatrics VA Quality Scholars Fellowship will be joining the Los Angeles Department of Health Services as the first executive director of ambulatory and managed care networks. Dr. Li will be developing the Department's medical home and care management infrastructure. Since graduating from the Quality Scholars Fellowship, Dr. Li has made extensive leadership contributions to public health and the community based medicine in San Francisco and Los Angeles. His new position recognizes his remarkable leadership skills and accomplishments. |
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Brie Williams, MD has been awarded a 3-year grant from the Langeloth Foundation for our proposed project “Designing, Piloting and Disseminating a Model Multidisciplinary Geriatrics Program to Assess and Improve the Care of Older Jail Inmates.” The Overarching Goal of the project is to determine the healthcare and service needs of older jail inmates, assess the geriatrics knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of those providing services to older jail inmates, and to create and disseminate a jail-based geriatrics program to improve the care of older jail inmates that does not rely on the unrealistic presence of a full-time geriatrician. In addition, the 3-year program development phase will provide the structure on which to build multidisciplinary relationships and partnerships that can be used to develop future projects. Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
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Louise Aronson, MD MFA, has been selected as a 2011 recipient of the Academy of Medical Educators Cooke Awards for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The award is given in recognition of her work, as first author, on the medical education curriculum innovation and research project Writing for Change: Training Residents in Health Policy Advocacy through Narrative done in collaboration with Alice Chen and Sharad Jain (General Internal Medicine), Anda Kuo (Pediatrics), Vanessa Grubbs (Nephrology) and Jennifer Siegel (Medicine Chief Resident) at San Francisco General Hospital. The group taught public medical writing to 19 residents resulting in 7 publications in the New York Times, Annals of Internal Medicine, the Huffington Post and Health Affairs. |
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Louise Walter has been appointed to the National Quality Forum (NQF) Technical Advisory Panel (TAP). This new panel will endorse resource use measures for public reporting and quality improvement. Each of the NQF's four TAPs is composed of up to 10 members who provide measurement and clinical expertise. The TAPs work with NQF staff to provide technical evaluation of the measures. Having Dr. Walter on this panel ensures that geriatric care issues are addressed. Dr. Walter is an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Co-Director of the UCSF Geriatrics Research Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Sei Lee published a commentary in the April 6 issue of JAMA titled, “Goals of Glycemic Control in Frail Older Patients with Diabetes” with Dr. Cathy Eng, Medical Director at On Lok and Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF Division of Geriatrics. In this commentary Dr. Lee argues that the goals of controlling blood sugar levels in frail elders are different than in younger patients. While the goal in younger patients has appropriately been to decrease heart attacks and strokes, older patients are unlikely to survive long enough to benefit because ~8 years of tight blood sugar control is needed before decreases in heart attacks and strokes are seen. Dr. Lee argues that decreasing geriatric syndromes such as incontinence or falls should be the goals that drive blood sugar control targets. Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Associate Director of the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program and a Staff Physician at the SFVAMC. |
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Mike Steinman has been selected as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the flagship journal for the Society of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Steinman is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
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Rebecca Sudore recently published an editorial in the Journal of General Internal Medicine titled, "Respecting Elders by Respecting Their Paid Caregivers." Dr. Sudore calls for greater respect for the elder care workforce by recognizing the importance of their work and providing them the training they need to provide outstanding care to frail elders. Dr. Sudore is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and staff physician, SFVAMC. |
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The 2011 meetings for the Society for Internal Medicine (SGIM) and American Geriatrics Society (AGS) are quickly approaching. Faculty from the Division of Geriatrics will present on various exciting Geriatric-related topics. Click on the link below to view a list for geriatrics and palliative care-related programs and sessions happening this year at SGIM (May 4-7) and AGS (May 11-14).
View List |
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Mike Steinman has been named President-Elect for the California-Hawaii Region of the Society of General Internal Medicine. He joins Margaret Fang, MD, who is the current regional president, and Louise Walter, MD, a former president in this positionzDr. Steinman is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Staff Physician, SFVAMC.
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Helen Kao, Carla Perissinotto, and John Newman educated over 100 frontline community providers in dementia care and counseling about driving at 7 sites across the bay area. The lectures were part of the Hill Physicians Medical Group Primary Care Panel quarterly meetings for HPMG primary care providers. Immediate feedback to each of the speakers by clinicians at the meetings universally praised the sessions as one of the best and most informative lectures the clinicians had attended.
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Louise Aronson, MD MFA, was the lead author on medical education research projects selected for two of the six plenary presentations at the 2011 UCSF Education Day. Dr. Aronson and colleagues will present on A Randomized Trial of Reflective Learning Guidelines and Feedback among Third Year Medical Students and Writing for Change: Training Residents in Health Policy Advocacy through Narrative. For more information on UCSF Education Day click here |
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Dr. Sudore was awarded a grant from the National Palliative Care Research Center that focuses on improving care for seriously ill patients and their families. Dr. Sudore has developed a new paradigm of advance care planning that focuses on preparing patients and their surrogate decision makers and to participate with clinicians in making in-the-moment medical decisions. The NPCRC grant will allow Dr. Sudore to design and test a patient intervention based on this new model of advance care planning. Dr. Sudore is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and staff physician, SFVAMC. |
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Sei Lee has been appointed to the Quality and Performance Measurement Committee of the American Geriatrics Society. Dr. Lee's term will be from May 2011-May 2014. Committee appointments are competitive and his selection is evidence of his reputation among his peers nationally. The mission of the committee is to ensure that every older American receives high quality patient-centered care by leading the Society's efforts to influence P4P (pay for performance) and quality improvement initiatives so that any quality and P4P systems adopted reflect the unique health care needs of older adults. Dr. Lee is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division, Co-Director of the SFVAMC National Quality Scholars Program, and Staff Physician, SFVAMC. |
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Lindsey Yourman a 4th year medical student at UCSF and Pre-Doc Research Fellow has been accepted to a residency program! Starting June 2011, she will begin her internal medicine residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego.
Lindsey began working with the Division in 2010, and has played in important role mapping out the Geriatrics curriculum at UCSF with Bree Johnston, and conducting a systematic review of prognostic indices with Dr. Alex Smith. Congratulations Lindsey! We will miss your exuberance, interest, and laughter. |
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Dr. Louise Aronson, Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and UCSF Medical Humanities Director invites you to attend a presentation by Dr. David Biro titled, The Language of Pain. David Biro has a medical degree from Columbia University and a doctorate in EnglishLiterature from Oxford University. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. This interesting presentation is sure to transform our understanding of and ability to communicate pain.
View Flyer
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Rebecca Sudore was quoted in the Wall Street Journal in a story titled, "New Efforts to Simplify End-of-Life Care Wishes." The story was featured in the Personal Journal Section. Dr. Sudore's quote highlights the importance of preparing patients and families for medical decision making. The article also gives patients helpful information for making their medical wishes known and details a growing number of programs that help guide patients, families, and physicians with medical decision making. |
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Dr. Edward Goetzl has been studying the immune system, and specifically T cell function, to identify and someday correct changes that occur with aging. Dr. Goetzl and a team of UCSF researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age. Dr. Goetzl has moved from studying mice to men and women and his laboratory efforts from UCSF to the Jewish Home San Francisco to facilitate the study of aging in humans. The work was published in Clinical Immunology in January and was recently highlighted on a local television news segment with interviews featuring Dr. Goetzl, Dr. Schwartz, and two 90 year old residents of the Jewish Home who participated in the studies.
Read more about the study
View the news video |
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The VA Central Office recently approved a report entitled Improving Patient Centered Medication Management for Elderly Veterans, which was created by a joint geriatrics and pharmacy national taskforce to identify ways that VA can improve use of medications for older veterans. Faculty member Michael Steinman participated in the taskforce and creation of the report, including service as co-chair of the taskforce Subcommittee on Medication Appropriateness. |
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The UCSF Division of Geriatrics is now videoconferencing Geriatrics Journal Club and Works in Progress conferences from the SFVAMC to the UCSF Laurel Heights campus to expand the learning capacity of these valuable conferences. For more information contact Cary Speidell. |
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Hospitals innovate to improve outcomes for the elderly,”declares ACP Hospitalist in a recent article. The article discusses how elderly patients benefit from admission to an ACE unit, where the processes of care have been specially designed to meet their needs. It also details the challenges to sustain ACE Units and potential solutions to continue providing optimal care for older patients in the future. The article is based in part on Seth Landefeld’s work and an interview with him.” |
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In this issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics faculty, Dr. Rebecca Sudore, senior authored a manuscript validating self-reported health literacy questions among chronically-ill, English- and Spanish-speaking patients. The study found that a single question which asks about one’s confidence in filling out medical forms, as well as a summative scale of three self-reported questions (confidence with medical forms, problems learning about one’s medical condition, and needing help reading medical information) can be used to discriminate between English- and Spanish-speaking patients with adequate and limited health literacy. These quick and easy-to-use questions may be useful to help estimate health literacy for clinical research purposes among diverse, chronically-ill patient populations. |
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Eric Widera was featured in a Medscape article titled, “Want Job Satisfaction? Choose Geriatrics.” Dr. Widera discusses the increased demand for Geriatric health care services, the positive impact Geriatricians have on the lives of others and how he is constantly inspired by the meaningful relationships he has with his patients. |
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Eric Widera was quoted in the New York Times in a story titled, “When Dementia Drains the Pocketbook.” This article refers to Dr. Widera’s and Dr. Sudore's recent article in JAMA regarding managing financial issues for elderly patients. |
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| Congratulations to Drs. Helen Kao, John Newman, Margarita Sotelo, Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Carla Perissinotto, Sei Lee, and Brie Williams! Each has just been named a Hartford Scholar in a peer review of applications for Hartford Foundation Centers of Excellence. UCSF will receive a $180,000 grant to support the Center of Excellence over the coming year. |
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Drs. Sei Lee and Michael Steinman published an article titled, “Volunteering, Driving Status and Mortality in US Retirees” in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. This study suggests that volunteering may be especially beneficial for older adults who are unable to drive and are more socially isolated. Drs. Lee and Steinman collaborated with Dr. Erwin Tan, a graduate of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and the San Francisco VA Quality Scholars fellowship who is currently leading the Corporation for National and Community Service. |
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Former MSTAR student and CURRENT UCSF RESDIENT, Char Carlson published an article in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine on follow-up of fecal occult blood testing. Dr. Carlson was mentored by Louise Walter, MD who is the senior author on the paper. Additional authors include Kate Kirby (Statistician); Michele Casadei (RA) and Chrissy Kistler (Geriatrics Fellow and now faculty at UNC). |
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Medical Humanities Grand Rounds on Tuesday, February 22nd will focus on music and the brain. This interesting presentation will feature a concert and conversation with Grammy nominated jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer. Drs. Theresa Allison and Michael Weiner will be participating on a discussion panel. Event Flyer |
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GeriPal has been named the Best Clinical Sciences Weblog of 2010! GeriPal was described in the award as the following: "GeriPal features evidence-based reviews, frequent updates, and the site deploys one of best visual styles we've seen among med blogs. Being a journal that's always open to new qualified authors, GeriPal has developed into a community with a passion and focus on an important topic. We're glad to see that medical blogs like this provide a real and useful resource of knowledge and practical opinion that improves the lives of patients." |
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Important questions about the clinician's role in identifying loss of financial capacity are addressed in a terrific JAMA article by Eric Widera (first author) and contributor Rebecca Sudore (senior author), with co-authors Veronika Steenpass (former UCSF Geriatrics fellow) and Daniel Marson (from UAB). This article reviews how Alzheimer's disease and other progressive dementias eventually lead to a complete loss of financial capacity. It also articulates how clinicians can be attentive to warning signs that patients may have lost financial capacity, know when to refer for assessment of financial capacity, and educate and prepare patients and family members. |
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Seth Landefeld will be the recipient of the 2011 Robert J. Glaser Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM)! The Glaser Award is the highest honor bestowed by SGIM. It recognizes exceptional excellence in General Internal Medicine. Dr. Landefeld was recognized for his landmark research, his excellence as a mentor, and his leadership. The award is a testament to his great vision, leadership, and impact. Dr. Landefeld will officially receive the Glaser Award at the 2011 Annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine in Phoenix this May. |
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Dr. Mike Steinman has accepted the position of Director of UCSF's Geriatrics Research Training Program. The Research Training Program will benefit from explicit focused leadership of an accomplished independent investigator and mentor. In this new role, Dr. Steinman will lead recruitment of research fellows, advise them on mentoring and curricular opportunities, coordinate Geriatrics Research Training with the Clinical Fellowship and the Quality Scholars Program, and link our training program to others on campus. He will also work closely with Drs. Ken Covinsky and Louise Walter in integrating the Training Program into the strategic development of our research program. |
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Drs. Alex Smith, Ken Covinsky and Michael Steinman have published an article titled, “Conducting High-Value Secondary Dataset Analysis: An Introductory Guide and Resources.” Secondary analyses of large datasets provide a mechanism for researchers to address high impact questions that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to study. This paper presents a guide to assist investigators interested in conducting secondary data analysis, including advice on the process of successful secondary data analysis as well as a brief summary of high-value datasets and online resources for researchers, including the SGIM dataset compendium. |
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Michael Steinman, MD was the featured guest on the “Heart Matters” radio show for ReachMD, a radio station on XM radio focused on medical professionals. The topic was “The Complexity of Medication Management for Older Patients with Heart Failure”. |
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Incoming UCSF Geriatrics fellow, Jackie Yuen, is the lead author of an article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine titled "Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders: Why They Have Failed and How to Fix Them". The paper lays out four main failures of DNR orders and four possible solutions. Congratulations Jackie! |
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Dr. Theresa Allison, a graduate of our Geriatrics Fellowship, and close colleague at the Jewish Home of San Francisco is the recipient of an American Geriatrics Society New Investigator Award! Theresa was recognized for her ground breaking work examining the use of music and culture to improve quality of life in nursing home residents. Cheer Theresa on when she receives her award at the AGS annual meeting in May! |
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Michael Harper, MD is interviewed in the January issue of Family Practice News |
Michael Harper was interviewed for an article about the need to reexamine the 4th year of medical school in the January issue of Family Practice News. The article also references a paper previously published by Dr. Harper in Academic Medicine.
View article |
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Division of Geriatrics Faculty and VA Palliative Care Doctors pass board exams |
Congratulations to Division of Geriatrics Faculty and San Francisco VA Palliative Care doctors who recently sat for the first American Board of Medical Specialties board examination. We are proud of Drs. Helen Chen, Barbara Drye, Bree Johnston, Helen Kao, Sei Lee, Sandra Moody, Carla Perissinotto, Alex Smith, and Rebecca Sudore- all who passed with flying colors!
Their actions in taking the Board Exam helped greatly in the larger national effort to increase access to palliative care for all patients with serious life limiting illness and their families. |
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Dr. Pricilla Yee is recruited to the 2012 class of entering geriatric fellows |
| The Division has recruited Dr. Priscilla Yee to the 2012 class of entering geriatrics fellows. Dr. Yee is a graduate of the University of Hawaii School of Medicine and is currently a 3rd year internal medicine resident at the California Pacific Medical Center and will be Chief Resident in 2011. |
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UCSF Medical Student Vivien Sun is named the 2010 MSTAR Best Student Researcher |
| Second Year UCSF Medical Student Vivien Sun has been named the 2010 MSTAR Best Student Researcher for her work with UCSF Division of Geriatrics mentor Dr. Brie Williams on her student paper entitled “How Safe is Your Neighborhood? Perceived neighborhood safety and its association with functional decline and mortality in older adults”. MSTAR is a summer program in aging research for medical students funded by NIH and the American Federation for Aging Research; UCSF works with a regional consortium of other MSTAR programs at UCLA, the University of Washington, and the University of Colorado. |
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| Shya Castillo (Geriatrics Research Assistant), Rebeca Sudore and Brie Williams have authored an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled, “Lost in translation: the Unintended Consequences of Advance Directive Law on Clinical Care.” This paper describes the fundamental tension that exists between advance directive law and clinical practice. It also details the unintended negative consequences of advance directive legal restrictions that may prevent all patients, and particularly vulnerable patients, from making and communicating their end-of-life wishes and having them honored. |
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Amy Berman shares about her search for good care |
| Amy Berman, Senior Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation and a dear friend of Geriatrics and UCSF, tells her story of her search for good care for her recently diagnosed metastatic breast cancer: www.jhartfound.org/blog/. She shows how “good” – or at least common – care can be bad for people, and tells how she steered the right course for her. She asks, “What about the millions of older Americans facing a terminal illness or chronic disease? How can they possibly stand up to the juggernaut of our health system and say, “No. I want care that focuses on my goals, care that is centered on me.” Amy calls on all of us to change our usual “good” care to be what our patients want and need. |
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Eric Widera receives national recognition for end-of-life care |
| Eric Widera received national recognition today for his exceptional work in end-of-life care when The Hastings Center for Bioethics and the Public Interest formally announced the five recipients of the second annual Cunniff-Dixon Award. Congratulations Eric! |
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Nicholas Moy is part of a SFVAMC team awarded a VA Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education grant |
| Nicholas Moy our VA Quality Scholar Fellow, is part of a SFVAMC team that was awarded a VA Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education grant. The centers will develop innovative ways to prepare physician, nurse, and associated health trainees for primary care practice in the 21st Century. Out of 37 nationwide applications only 5 grants of 1 million dollars per year for five years were awarded. Dr. Moy’s part of the grant will focus on email communication with patients and teamwork training. |
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Carla Perissinotto, MD is awarded a grant from the UCSF Department of Medicine |
| Carla Perissinotto has been awarded a 2 year grant from the UCSF Department of Medicine, “Friends of Medicine Grant.” Her proposal, titled “Innovations in Continuity of Care: Bridging the Transition Between Ambulatory to Homebound Care”, will allow her to work with the primary care residents and will center on a curriculum helping residents care for their own homebound patients. |
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Caroline Stephens, PhD, APRN, BC, our VA Quality Scholar Postdoctoral Nurse Fellow, was awarded a $25,000 planning grant from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation as part of the Avoiding Readmissions Through Collaboration (ARC) initiative. Of 21 eligible Bay Area hospitals, the SFVAMC was one of seven selected to receive planning grant funds.
Dr. Stephens will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of SFVAMC leaders, front line staff and an ARC Improvement Advisor to develop an evidenced-based plan to reduce hospital readmissions for community-dwelling and institutionalized older Veterans. |
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| Michael Steinman, MD was featured on KCBS Radio for a story on their morning news show about adherence to medications. |
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Susan Hyde a former HRSA Geriatric Dentistry Fellow is featured in a UCSF Today article |
| Susan Hyde, DDS, MPH, PhD, a former HRSA Geriatric Dentistry Fellow at the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco VA Medical Center was featured in a UCSF Today news article. The article details how Dr. Hyde promotes practices that preserve oral health and quality of life for underserved populations including minority children and the homebound elderly. Her research on health practices that prevent cavities confirm that these groups fare poorly and probes reasons and remedies. Read article |
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