2019 Division of Geriatrics Report

by Raza Haque, MD, Associate Professor, Director of Geriatrics Associate Chair of Virtual Health

 

In the last five years, division of Geriatrics had some significant growth and contributions, along with changes and evolutions.

Significant achievements:

Division in collaboration with COM, ran a successful Geriatric fellowship with Sparrow hospital. The weekly geriatric didactic teaching was extended through live zoom link into two network MSU geriatric fellowships Grand Rapids and COM fellowship in Detroit.

The fellowship since recruited and successfully trained five fellows, four of them went on completing their certification exams. Four out of five remained engaged in the community practicing geriatric medicine, two became the part of CHM teaching society for preclinical learning in the new curriculum full time. Two were retained as faculty with the department of Family medicine, actively engaged in clinical, educational and scholarly activities

The focus of Division since 2015 has been more on research and innovation in clinical services. The faculty submitted several significant grant proposals with aging focus during this period, with encouraging success rate in securing funds. One of the geriatric faculty win the prestigious CHM Teacher scholar award during the reporting period.

This period showed a spike in team-based research initiatives with partners and collaborators. (The research division report further categorically highlights the funding activities) Brain Health tracking, an innovate proposal focused at cognitive health through developing and using an app, took off. This proposal completed its phase 1 of focus group interviews was materialized, with the help of departmental faculty research award. Phase two is now funded by BCBS to develop the app. In collaboration with Media study.  There is an increased effort to promote a college wide collaborative activity, as we have engaged basic sciences and clinical faculties in exploring potential  translational research focused at aging.

In the last five years, our division went through a period of change, both in leadership and an improved focus at our mission vision with triple aim approach to our educational, clinical and scholarly pursuits. Our focus in geriatric services transformed during this period with focus on innovative clinical approach to meet the care needs of elders both in local and rural communities in the state of Michigan.

We promoted aging research through careful review of proposals related to aging. leading the Pearl Aldrich endowment. An associate chair for virtual health was appointed to develop and lead technology

based innovative services for underserved population. The efforts so far been encouraging. A collaborative efforts and networking within MSU and other stake holders in aging and older care givers has resulted in successful submission of a pilot grant proposal to Michigan Endowment Fund, pending decision. The proposal titled GREETS intends to address clinical expertise and workforce needs in rural Michigan, through remote access telemedicine technology. It is intended to address rural underserved older needs for health care.

We also have been serving as medical directors in two facilities, Dimondale and Holt, where we are play a key teaching role for CHM students with new curriculum. Our service area has developed new formal contract to provide clinical support to the PACE program.

Geriatric division has been regularly publishing in notable journals of geriatrics during the reporting period with significant impact; evident through frequent references of the published work. During the reporting period, several faculty members from the division are now serving or completed their terms on various educational and clinical committees of American Geriatrics society and Society of Post-Acute and Long-term Care, (AMDA). With department renewed focus on the research in the last five years; our faculty members are more consistently presenting their scholarly works at regional, national and international conferences.

Next Five Years:

In the last five years, our unit has been slowly getting more focused on research aspect, with innovation in care delivery. Going forward, after cutting our losses to challenges due to the transitions, we are transforming ourselves into an organized team based clinical researchers. Our goal is to focus on developing strong collaborations/partnership with stake holders, industry partners and MSU network to achieve following key objectives:

1. Develop innovative, sustainable health care delivery models for underserved aging population across the state of Michigan
2. Create strong partnerships with social science, basic science and engineering department, in order to achieve a robust interdisciplinary A bench to translation model. Exploring all aspects of aging ranging from biomarkers to clinical outcomes in geriatrics
3. Complete Telehealth pilot for geriatric care for rural aging population
4. Complete brain health app for beta testing
5. Partnering with translation science and engineering, write and submit one proposal exploring biomarkers, cognitive function of at-risk population for cognitive impairment and functional MRI
6. Expand clinical services to at least five assisted facilities in upper peninsula provide geriatric care through tele-geriatric support
7. Develop pilot virtual geriatric assessment center in upper peninsula MSU campus
8. Establish two telehealth consult support service for rural hospital and outpatient clinics
9. Establish one-year geriatric research fellowship program
10. Establish a Palliative Care fellowship in East Lansing
11. Develop a pilot tele proctoring with partners with residency in upper peninsula to teach geriatrics

HOW TO GET THERE?

1. We need more clinical faculties and researchers focused on gerontology
2. Continue to engage stake holders and partners across the state
3. Work on strengthening the pilot services being established
4. Strong focus on getting the telehealth model robust through PDSA
5. Partnership with FQHS in rural areas