Fall 2013 Division of Geriatric Newsletter Medicine & Gerontology
Highlights Ageless Alliance: United Against Elder Abuse Ageless Alliance: United Against Elder Abuse Page 1 Many elders feel betrayed and would not happen to someone else. angry after having been abused or Yet, there was no specific group
Chair’s Column Page 2 neglected. Many family members of with whom they could connect. An abuse victims also feel this way. For idea…a desire…was born. Through
Innovations in Action Page 3 years, the UC Irvine Health Center the efforts of many dedicated of Excellence on Elder Abuse & people, this idea developed and
Welcome to Our New Faculty Page 4 Neglect team has offered support took form. It would be a movement and guidance for elders and their of people of all ages, across the families who find themselves in country, who would come together such difficult circumstances. Our to take action in their communities U.S. News and World team has heard many older adults to help end elder abuse. And so Report Recognizes and their families say they wanted began Ageless Alliance: United to do something to help ensure Against Elder Abuse. UC Irvine Health that what had happened to them Continued on page 2 For the second year in a row, the UC Irvine Health geriatrics program has been ranked in the top 50 in the country. This ranking is a direct reflection of our commitment to excellence in patient care and for our national leadership in elder abuse prevention and in finding innovative ways to improve care for older adults. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2013
714.456.5530 • www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/senior-health Ageless Alliance continued from page 1
Ageless Alliance, a program of the UC Irvine Health Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse & Neglect, was launched at a White House-hosted elder abuse symposium on June 14, 2012. Its mission is to unite people of all ages, nationwide, who will work toward the elimination of elder abuse. Ageless Alliance focuses on raising awareness and promoting community involvement. Its Dr. Lisa Gibbs website, www.agelessalliance.org, provides ideas about how to get involved and take action. It also Chair’s Column offers an “action kit” to arm members with tools they can I’m pleased to let you know of many exciting developments at UC Irvine use. Members receive additional Health. The Program in Geriatrics has grown significantly in patient care, support through social media research and teaching. Because of this growth, we are now a division of the and email, and from the Ageless Department of Family Medicine. As the Department Chair, I have appointed Alliance team directly. Dr. Lisa Gibbs to be the chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology. You’ll hear from Dr. Gibbs directly in future issues. Across the country, kids to adults are saying they can’t let abuse Dr. Gibbs has a long and impressive resume of leadership and excellence in happen. They are joining the geriatric medicine. She received her medical degree from Stanford School Ageless Alliance and taking action. of Medicine and went on to complete her residency and fellowship in Frustration, anger, isolation and geriatrics at University of California, Davis. She is the medical director of powerlessness are being replaced the SeniorHealth Center and directs our geriatrics fellowship and medical with positive impact, unity and education program. Dr. Gibbs was recently awarded fellowship in the empowerment. Do you want to American Geriatrics Society, which is a prestigious award for AGS members take a stand against elder abuse? who have demonstrated a professional commitment to geriatrics and have To learn more and join for free, visit contributed to advancing the field of geriatric medicine. Most important, her www.agelessalliance.org. patients love her for her dedication to finding answers to problems that have seemed almost impossible to resolve. Her commitment to our patients – Kevin Trout always shines through. We are lucky to have her on our leadership team. Manager, Ageless Alliance
— Laura Mosqueda, MD, FAAFP, AGSF Associate Dean of Primary Care Professor and Chair of Family Medicine Ronald W. Reagan Endowed Chair in Geriatrics
2 | Fall 2013 714.456.5530 • www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/senior-health SeniorHealth Center Patient Innovations in Action Shares Her Story As part of our commitment to • Providing virtual visits via excellence, we are engaged in a telemedicine for our patients Adeline Marsala had been to number of innovative programs that in nursing facilities so they respected physicians and hospitals, will improve the quality of life for may avoid hospitalizations and but wasn’t getting better. Then, older adults. We are: emergency room visits. UC Irvine Health’s medical team • Expanding our House Calls These programs are possible thanks saved her brother-in-law’s life, so program, so that homebound to the support of our donors. she decided to try the UC Irvine frail and severely disabled seniors Please consider joining us. There Health SeniorHealth Center. She can see the physician in their are several ways you can give. Ask saw Dr. Lisa Gibbs in February. “Dr. own home. us about a charitable gift annuity Gibbs took care of everything. It was which allows you to give a gift unbelievable. Within two months • Obtaining accreditation as a while receiving a fixed income for the doctors at UC Irvine Health fixed patient-centered medical home, the rest of your life. Or, you may problems I had been suffering with which reflects our commitment to write a check and return it in the for 15 years,” Mrs. Marsala said. comprehensive team-based care. enclosed envelope, give online at • Expanding our memory care https://ua-web.uadv.uci.edu/eGiving, “Within two months the doctors services so that every older call us at 714-456-7396, or email Linda Haghi at [email protected]. at UC Irvine Health fixed problems adult with concerns about his/ her memory can receive an I had been suffering with for assessment and comprehensive 15 years.” treatment in one location.
• Using iPads for patients at high “That SeniorHealth Center is a great risk of hospitalization to allow place, outstanding,” Mrs. Marsala additional interactions with the stated. “To any senior, if they have clinical team in between office visits. any doubt about their care or whether to get a second opinion, I highly recommend you contact the Congratulations to Annie Nguyen, PhD, MPH, who received a SeniorHealth Center. I have seen research grant from the National Institutes of Health/National several doctors there and I wouldn’t Institute on Aging for her project entitled “Behaviors related to trade any of these doctors. Everyone diabetes management among elderly Latino patients seen at a I talk with who has doctors at UC Irvine Health is happy. The girls Federally Qualified Health Center.” The goal of this research project in the office are so kind. Everyone is to understand which factors help elderly Latino diabetic patients who takes care of you is patient and manage their diabetes. compassionate. They get me in right away when I have a problem. I have never seen anything like this.” Love the newsletter, but where’s the e-news? Would you prefer to receive this newsletter by email? If so, just let us know by sending us an email at [email protected] and put in the subject line “e-newsletter”.
714.456.5530 • www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/senior-health Fall 2013 | 3 NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID UC IRVINE HEALTH Department of Family Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology 101 The City Drive South, Bldg. 200, Suite 835 / Orange, CA 92868
Raciela Austin, MSN, NP-C, Welcome to Our joined our faculty effective New Faculty! June 1. Ms. Austin received her degree as a nurse practitioner Alison Moore, MD, MPH, is at CSU Long Beach in 2012. She joining us part time to develop our is an advanced practice nurse research program. Dr. Moore is Cordula Dick-Muehlke, PhD, joins specializing in geriatrics; A nurse currently a professor of medicine us full time from UC Irvine Institute practitioner requires additional and psychiatry at the David Geffen for Memory Impairments and training beyond a registered nurse School of Medicine and the Semel Neurological Disorder (iMind) where license. Nurse practitioners in Institute for Neuroscience and she worked as a project scientist California can treat and prescribe Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. and director of education. Prior to medication, in collaboration with Moore has published 48 research that, she served as the executive physicians. Ms. Austin has been papers, eight book chapters director of the Alzheimer’s Family working at the SeniorHealth and innumerable abstracts and Services Center in Huntington Beach Center while obtaining her degree. articles. She has been the principal for 17 years. Dr. Dick-Muehlke has She coordinates several of our investigator for major grants from dedicated her distinguished career innovative programs, including the National Institute of Aging and to the care of people with dementia the iPad initiative for certain the Hartford Foundation, among and their caregivers. She has received high-risk, vulnerable patients, and many others. many awards and honors and has the telemedicine program with the published numerous articles. skilled nursing facilities.
4 | Fall 2013 714.456.5530 • www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/senior-health