2003 State Affiliate Achievement Award

Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society Western Division
713 Ridge Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Phone: 412-321-5030
FAX: 412-321-5323

Pennsylvania
Geriatrics Society

Western Division

About us

Clinical Update

DC Martin Award

News

	2012 DAVID C. MARTIN AWARD Applications are now being accepted! Deadline: On or Before March 10, 2012 Recipients will be notified on or about March 16th

	20th Annual Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine "2012 Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine March 22-24, 2012 Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Pittsburgh, PA Click here to download Brochure or, To register on line please visit https://ccehs.upmc.com/liveFormalCourses.jsf

	President's Message Fred Rubin, MD - October 2011

	National POLST Paradigm Conference Partners in POLST: Honoring Patient Wishes Across Care Settings February 16, 2012 Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa - San Diego, CA Registration Brochure

	Fall Program Breast Cancer Recurrence - What to look for and How to Avoid it Tuesdsay, October 11 6:00 PM The Monterey Bay Fish Grotto Speaker G. van Londen, MD, MSc This program is complimentary to all members. Continuing medical education credits as well continuing education units have been submitted. For information on becoming a member, verifying membership status, or program details contact society administrator, Nadine Popovich, at 412-321-5030 or email npopovich@acms.org. Special thanks to Harmony Hospice for their support of this program. Download Presentation

CME Credit Hours: 0.5
Target Audience:
Target audience is physicians specializing in geriatric medicine and general practitioners currently engaged in clinical activities related to the treatment of elderly patients.

Educational Objectives:
Following the presentation, participants will be able to:

Define medication reconcilation
Determine the key players in the reconcilation process
Recognize why medication reconcilation is important
Identify strategies to maximize its success.

Author:
Zachary A. Marcum, PharmD, BCPS - T32 Postdoctoral Geriatric Fellow, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Geriatrics).

Presented by University of Pittsburgh

Click here to access the course. You are required to create an account to view the course.

Geriatrics Society holds 19^th Annual Clinical Update

The Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Hotel was the site of the March 2011 Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine conference. Previously awarded the American Geriatrics Society Achievement Award for Excellence in a CME program, this conference has been a popular and respected resource for 20 years. Each year, the course continually grows and attracts prominent international and national lecturers, as well as nationally renowned local faculty.

Under the leadership of course directors Drs. Shuja Hassan, Judith S. Black, and Neil M. Resnick, the course is a premier educational event in the region. Over 380 geriatrics professionals from all disciplines, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, long term care and managed care providers, and health care administrators participated in key plenary sessions, numerous breakout sessions, and featured ‘Ask the Physician’ sessions. During the ‘Ask the Physician’ sessions, participants had the opportunity to pose challenging questions from their own practices to geriatric-focused subspecialists in the fields of Hematology, Geriatrics and Nephrology.

A highlight of the three-day conference included several lectures by guest faculty Michael Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics; director of the general clinical research center; director of the bone health care clinic and the heliotherapy, light, and skin research center, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA. Dr. Holick is internationally recognized for his many contributions in the field of vitamin D, calcium and bone endocrinology and metabolism and is arguably the preeminent Vitamin D researcher of the past 30 years. His lecture, “Vitamin D: Pearls and Pitfalls” educated the audience that the impact of vitamin D is profound and goes way beyond absorption of calcium. Dr. Holick’s enthusiastic presentation addressed that sensible sun exposure, adequate calcium intake along with good dietary sources of vitamin D, and vitamin D supplementation are imperative to maintaining or rebuilding vitamin D levels.

The conference is jointly sponsored by the Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society – Western Division; the Aging Institute of UPMC Senior Services and University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences. Planning is underway for the 2012 Clinical Update. Members of the Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society – Western Division receive a discount when registering for the conference! To inquire about becoming a member, contact Nadine Popovich at 412-321-5035 ext 110 or email npopovich@acms.org.

Handouts from the 2011 Clinical Update in GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Download Handouts

Help Conference The ninth international Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) was held in Pittsburgh, PA March 31 through April 1 in conjunction with the Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine. This two-day conference is designed to educate HELP teams regarding strategies for delirium prevention, and using HELP as a way to improve hospital-wide care of the elderly and create a climate of change. Expert clinicians and seasoned members of the HELP sites shared evidence-based information and their clinical insights on selected topics regarding the influence of HELP, delirium updates, and the larger policy implications of care for the elderly.

The Hospital Elder Life Program was developed by Sharon K. Inouye, MD, professor of medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School; Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family Chair. This innovative model program was designed to improve the hospital experience for older patients by helping them maintain their cognitive and functional abilities; maximizing independence at discharge; assisting with the transition to the home; and preventing unplanned readmission.

Through HELP, the hospital becomes a place where older patients can feel secure as they participate in their course of treatment and maintain some control over their own recuperation. Hospitals around the world have implemented the program and HELP has received extensive coverage in medical journals and mainstream media. For more information on HELP and delirium, or to learn how to become a HELP site, please visitsit www.hospitalelderlifeprogram.org.

David C Martin Award 2011

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. Recipients received honorariums of either $1,000.00 or $1,200.00. Each abstract is reviewed and voted on by the Board of Directors. A presentation was held prior to the dinner symposium (held in conjunction with the 2011 Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine) where awardees were introduced and presented with a certificate of excellence and honorarium presentation. Below are the titles of the winning abstracts:

            Malamo Countouris        Exploring the Impact of a Local Hospital Closing upon the Elderly:

                                                A Focus Group Study

            Tao Liu                         Subjective Memory Complaints and Chronic Systemic Illnesses

            Hilary Michel                 Screening Long Term Care Residents for Osteoporosis: Is There a

                                                Better Way?

            Jason Sanders              Understanding the physiologic basis of frailty is enhanced by noninvasive

                                                measurement of organ structure and function in multiple physiologic systems

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. DCM Award Since its inception, the Society is proud to have awarded over $57,000 to medical students interested in the field of geriatric medicine.

President Fred Rubin, MD

Secretary/Treasurer Judith S. Black, M.D., M.H.A

Mission Statement: The Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society - Western Division is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all older persons. It is a non-profit organization of physicians and other health care professionals committed to the provision of quality health care for older persons. As a regional affiliate of the American Geriatrics Society, the organization provides leadership for professionals, policy makers and the public in the area served. The organization aids in the efforts of the American Geriatrics Society in developing, implementing and advocating programs in patient care, research, professional education, public policy and public information for the Pennsylvania and region.

Educational Programs Annually sponsors the Clinical Update in Geriatric Medicine Conference held each spring. The winner of the 2003 American Geriatrics Society State Affiliate Achievement Award, this dynamic local conference features an array of in-depth topics on geriatric conditions. Formats include lectures by internationally respected authorities. Continuing medical education credits are also available.
The Fall Educational Program provides members a clinical review and update of common problems affecting the elderly. Each year, a different medical specialty or subspecialty is featured.

Newsletter and Website Keeps those in the field updated on programs and issues related to geriatrics on a local and state level. The newsletter is published twice a year. The website offers timely information for members regarding other geriatric programs in and around the area, as well as public policy issues that are being addressed.

Public Policy Forum Provides representation at the national and state level of the American Geriatrics Society. By communicating with elected representatives on the state and regional level, the Society has the opportunity to influence policy and educate Congress about the important role geriatricians and other health care professionals play in caring for the nation's elderly.

Awards and Grants: One of the goal's of the PA Geriatrics Society - Western Division is to encourage and support medical students who are interested in the field of geriatric medicine. The David C. Martin Award helps defray the cost of attending the American Geriatrics Society Annual Conference by offering recipients an honorarium of up to $1,500 to exhibit their work. In addition, a medical student research grant is also awarded to local students taking part in summer research programs. Over the last 5 years, the Society has awarded approximately $57,000.00 to medical students and is confident that this support will encourage medical students' interest in geriatrics with the goal of preparing future physicians in the field of geriatric medicine.

Dues:

MD, DO, RN, CRNP
or other healthcare professional $40.00 per year

Resident Free

Student $10.00

Membership is open to all who are interested in improving the health and well-being of the elderly.
Click here to become a member, or contact

Nadine Popovich at 412-321-5030,
or email: npopovich@acms.org.