News & Events
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URMC Designated a Leader in Delivering Age-Inclusive Telehealth
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
URMC has joined 18 other health care leaders across the country in committing to high-quality, equitable, and person-centered telehealth for older adults, pledging to use this framework in developing and implementing telehealth offerings and evaluating its success in best serving older adults.
The age-inclusive telehealth principles and guidelines were spearheaded by the West Health Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to lowering health care costs and supporting access to quality care for older adults. Its new Center of Excellence For Telehealth and Aging (CE4TA) provides tools and resources to help organizations enhance their telehealth offerings and showcase their achievements in improving telehealth care.
Older adults often face a confusing, unresponsive, and uncoordinated care system and these hurdles were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, federal and state leaders expanded payment for telehealth services. In 2020 alone, Medicare-covered telehealth visits exploded by 63-fold, according to CE4TA. Leading health systems with telehealth platforms learned that older adults can and will use this type of care, however intentional human-centered design efforts are vital to ensure all customer segments—particularly older adults with complex care needs—can meaningfully use telehealth going forward.
“URMC is honored to be recognized for its commitment in shaping the future of age-inclusive telehealth to meet the needs, values, and preferences of older adult and family caregivers of today and tomorrow,” said URMC geriatrics specialist Dallas Nelson, MD.
Division of Geriatrics & Aging Present at AGS Conference
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Earlier this month, geriatricians from across the country gathered in Long Beach, CA, for the annual scientific meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. The meeting offers education sessions, symposia, workshops, and people present their work on emerging clinical issues, current research, health policy, and delivery of geriatric care. Many members of the URMC division of Geriatrics & Aging presented their work in poster sessions.
One of the highlights of the conference was Brian McGarry, PhD receiving the Health in Aging Foundation New Investigator Award. He is recognized for his research which focuses on the effects of Medicare policies on patient access, long-term care quality, and the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes.
Annie Medina-Walpole, MD, division chief of Geriatrics, said “Our division had a strong showing at the 2023 AGS annual meeting! I am so proud of the amazing research, education, and clinical care that was highlighted by our fellows and faculty.
Presentations & Posters
Marissa LoCastro – Medical Student in Geriatric Oncology Research Group
Mostafa Mohamed, MBBCh – Postdoctoral Associate in Geriatric Oncology Research Group
UR Aging Institute Supports United and Healing through Hope Event
Saturday, April 1, 2023
The URAI was well represented at a recent event entitled, “Stop the Violence Easter Dinner and Community Resource Fair,” on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at East High School, in the City of Rochester, NY. The sponsor of the event, United Healing through Hope and its president, Clay Harris, aim to honor and serve people who have been affected by violence plaguing our communities.
The URAI offered educational and resource information specifically intended to help support older adults age in place in the Rochester community. Areas of education provided included an introduction to the benefits of an Age-Friendly health system and the 4 elements of quality care (4M’s). A discussion about mobility and falls prevention strategies, home safety and the importance of immunizations against influenza and COVID-19 infections, were also addressed. Community families were offered pamphlet information about local resources, such as the UR Older Adult Services clinic, located in the City of Rochester that focuses on supporting the mental health and wellness needs of older community members. Those in attendance included Buffalo, NY community members who were directly impacted by the tragic and senseless Buffalo Tops massacre of 2022.
Division of Geriatrics Presents at AMDA PALTC Conference: Gillespie Delivers Outgoing President’s Address
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Several faculty and fellows from the division of Geriatrics & Aging attended the annual scientific meeting of the American Medical Director’s Association (AMDA) Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) earlier this month in Tampa. This year’s conference reflected how health care workers in PALTC settings have had disproportionate burdens during the COVID pandemic. Suzanne Gillespie, MD, associate professor here at URMC and the 2022-2023 president of AMDA PALTC, said “as we find our new normal, it is more important than ever before that our leaders gather to advance policy advocacy, to teach and learn best clinical practices, and to maintain the strength of our professional community.”
Presentations Given By:
- Suzanne Gillespie, MD - Associate Professor, Geriatrics
Speaker: Enhancing Leadership for Women in PALTC: Reclaiming Happiness in our Lives
- Dallas Nelson, MD - Associate Professor, Geriatrics
Speaker: General Session III: Health Policy
Roundtable Facilitator: Billing and Coding
Session Chair: Red Eye Rounds: Medical Direction Challenges
- Tim Holahan, DO - Assistant Professor, Geriatrics
Speaker: General Session III: Health Policy
Roundtable Facilitator: Ethical Issues
- Sarah Howd, MD - Assistant Professor, Geriatrics
Session Chair: Memory Care Matters! Advocacy Updates in Assisted Living Focusing on Dementia
- Ghinwa Dumyati, MD - Professor, Infectious Diseases
Session Chair: Taking Control of Your Infection Prevention and Antibiotic Stewardship Programs: Case Based Workshop
- Kate McBride, MD and Matt Nelson, MD - Geriatric Medicine Fellows
Participated in the AMDA Futures Program, a one-year learning experience designed to introduce a career in PALTC medicine
You can find information on each speaker and presentation by searching their name in the online conference program
As Gillespie prepares to pass the torch of AMDA PALTC leadership on, she reflects on her time at the conference, and the future of medicine here at URMC.
“In my Outgoing President's address, I highlighted the importance of our professional community and the many accomplishments that the Society had during the past year - including important collaborative work with the White House Task Force on COVID 19 to improve vaccination and clinical therapeutics, increased recognition of the medical director reflected in state and federal legislation proposing training and transparency requirements, and dissemination of a wide range of important clinical tools in important topics (like deprescribing, Parkinson's disease, delirium and more).
I am proud to be one of several faculty members from the Department of Medicine's Division of Geriatrics & Aging that are leading the charge to improve PALTC during this critical time. We are making a difference in the lives of millions of people who are cared for in PALTC settings and in the lives of their caregivers.”
Brian McGarry: Staff COVID Tests Protected Nursing Home Residents, Saved Lives
Thursday, March 23, 2023
The NEJM study by Brian McGarry, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, show that nursing homes that conducted more regular staff surveillance testing experienced significantly lower rates of COVID infections and deaths among residents. This was most pronounced prior to the availability of COVID vaccines, when high-testing facilities had about 30 percent lower resident cases and 25 percent fewer resident deaths.
Read the full story
Heather Lander, MD awarded a URMFG Healthcare Innovation Award
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
“The PROMIS of an Equitable, Innovative, Geriatric Perioperative Surgical Home”
Heather Lander, MD, assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, along with mentors, Marjorie Gloff, MD and Annette Medina-Walpole, MD, will lead this interdisciplinary project that focuses on creating and implementing a geriatric perioperative surgical home. The surgical home will incorporate provider and patient completed geriatric assessments in the Center for Perioperative Medicine to deliver targeted education, optimization, and risk discussions in older surgical patients. With the guidance and expertise of Dr. Judy Baumhauer, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) measures will be used to evaluate multiple health-focused domains. Using PROMIS concomitantly with provider completed geriatric screens, this project will create individualized care and support plans for patients in anticipation of surgery to better prepare our aging surgical patients for their perioperative course while simultaneously providing high quality, value-based care. This work is part of a larger effort by the UR Aging Institute to transform URMC into an Age-Friendly Health System.
Dallas Nelson Appointed to Governor's Reimagining Long-Term Care Task Force
Friday, February 17, 2023
Dallas Nelson, MD, associate professor of medicine in geriatrics & aging, was appointed to Governor Hochul's Reimagining Long-Term Care Task Force. She also serves as president of the New York Medical Directors Association.
Thomas Caprio Appointed to Advisory Committee for NY State Master Plan for Aging
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
In November, Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order that established a Master Plan for Aging Council, co-chaired by the Department of Health and the Office for the Aging. They were charged with creating an advisory committee, and have recently appointed Thomas Caprio, MD, as a member.
Caprio is a professor of Medicine in Geriatrics & Aging. He has two decades of collaboration with different aging workgroups, including the State Office for the Aging, where he has experience with caregiver focused projects, respite care, health professional education, and advocacy for older adults. He is a past president of the New York State Society on Aging, and is currently the director of the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center. His work with different service providers, academic centers, and policymakers state-wide has built up his illustrious reputation, earning him this appointment. He did not submit his name for consideration, Governor Hochul herself specifically appointed Caprio to the position.
Before the executive order was announced, Caprio was a member of the New York State Master Plan for Aging Coalition, where he represented the University of Rochester. This group organized an open letter to Governor Hochul, signed by over 100 organizations of the coalition, calling for the creation of the Master Plan for New York State. Their efforts paid off in November, as the Democrat & Chronicle announced the initial plans.
The Master Plan will focus on improvements in how services are coordinated, delivered, and financed, to better meet the needs of older adults, their families, and caregivers. The goal is to have the plan in place by 2024.
“Dr. Caprio has a long and esteemed history of involvement with the New York State Office for the Aging,” said Annie Medina-Walpole, MD, division chief of Geriatrics & Aging. “He will leverage his expertise as a Geriatrician to ensure that our State’s Master Plan for Aging promotes the quality of life, health, and vitality of all aging New Yorkers.”