Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society welcomes American Geriatrics Society President

A record number of registrants attended the fall program of the Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society – Western Division to hear guest speaker, and current American Geriatrics Society President, Cheryl Phillips, MD, CMD, AGSF. Dr. Phillips presented, '''Practical Approach to Managing Care Transitions: Skilled Nursing Facility/Emergency Department.'

Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society President Michael Yao, MD (left), with American Geriatrics Society President Cheryl Phillips, MD, CMD, Board of Director and COSAR representative Neil Resnick, MD and Secretary-Treasurer Judith Black, MD during the annual Fall program held at the Monterey Bay.

Dr. Phillips presented details that poor transitional care from the skilled nursing facility (SNF) to the Emergency Room (ED) back to the SNF is 'too much of not a good thing.' Of all the transitions, least is known about SNF-ED-SFN, due to little documentation about frequency, reason or outcome. It is recognized as a frequent occurrence, but often not linked with hospital admission.

It is estimated that up to 25% of SNF residents are transferred to ED yearly. Evidence has shown that poor transitions increase the risk of re-hospitalization and medication errors. She detailed a number of recommendations for improving care, including best care practice initiatives, which include communication and engagement; creating guidelines for a process to allow the desired outcome; define a measurement and feedback cycle and provide the tools (forms, procedures, policies) to make it all happen, as forms by themselves do not change the process.

Dr. Phillips is the chief medical officer of On Lok, Lifeways, the parent to the PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) model that serves nursing home eligible seniors in the greater San Francisco bay area. Her credentials include being past president of the American Medical Directors Association, as well as serving on multiple national boards and advisory groups for chronic care. In addition, Dr. Phillips served on the California Commission on Aging, been a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging and spent time as a Primary Care Public Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The annual fall business meeting is complimentary to members of the Society! For membership information, please contact Nadine Popovich, administrator at 412-321-5035 ext 110 or email to npopovich@acms.org.

DCM AWARD HONORS MEDICAL STUDENTS

Congratulations to the 2010 David C. Martin Award recipients, Alejandra Camacho-Soto, Sachin Kale, Jean Claude Rwigema, all from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Rachel Hart from the Ohio University; and Ashley Devonshire from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. This prestigious award supports medical students' interest in geriatrics by offering recipients an honorarium to be used solely to defray the costs of attending the American Geriatrics Society national conference. This year's recipients each received an honorarium of $1,150.00. The abstracts are reviewed and voted on by the Board of Directors. Recipients were invited to the interactive symposium, held at the Center for Connected Medicine and in conjunction conjunction with the 2010 Clinical Update in Geriatric. Each student received a certificate of excellence and honorarium presentation. Below are the titles of the winning abstracts. Alejandra Camacho-Soto Heart Rate Variability in Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study Ashley Devonshire Skeletal Muscle Mass and Composition Changes Post-Hip Fracture Rachel Hart Amyloid and Cerbrovascular Disease Imaging in Late Life Depression Sachin Kale Age-Related Differences of Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized with Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Are Not Explained By Differences in Inflammatory or Coagulant Response Jean-Claude Rwigema Mitochondrial Targeting Nitroxide JP4-039 Ameliortes Irradiation-Induced Delay in Bone Wound Healing in Mice And May Have Therapeutic Role for Acute Fractures in the Elderly The award is named after David C. Martin, MD, who established the first geriatric fellowship in Pittsburgh, PA. The ultimate goal of this prestigious award is to encourage and prepare future physicians in the field of geriatric medicine. Since its inception, the Society is proud to have awarded over $37,700 to medical students interested in the field of geriatric medicine.

AGS State Affiliate Achievement Award presented to Geriatrics Society

Neil Resnick, COSAR representative, attended the national conference and accepted the award on behalf of the society. During the COSAR pre-conference, held prior to the Awards ceremony, he addressed COSAR affiliates on the society's successful programs and activities.

This is the second honor bestowed on the Society. In 2004, AGS awarded the State Affiliate Achievement Award in the area of 'continuing education for members' to the organization. The award was given to the society based on the annual Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine, which has proven to be a successful and growing conference.

Photo: Cheryl Phillips, MD, CMD, AGSF presents the AGS State Affiliate Award to Neil Resnick, MD, COSAR Representative