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UAB MEDICINE NEWS
Dancing With Silver Stars
Event Funds Three Pilot
Projects on Aging
education as well as for other professionals, such as
Stephen Kritchevksy, PhD, Wake Forest University;
physician assistants, dietitians, and social workers. The
Kenneth Ottenbacher, PhD, University of Texas
UAB GEC is sponsored by the Health Resources and
Medical Branch, Galveston; and Bradley Willcox, MD,
BASiC Toolkit Improves Veterans’ Bladder,
Bowel, and Skin Issues
Services Administration and affiliated with the UAB
MSc, University of Hawaii.
A reduction in the rate of urinary tract infections
Funds raised through the innovative annual gala Dancing
Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine, UAB
was among the outcomes of an innovative home
With the Silver Stars are allowing the UAB Comprehensive
School of Medicine, and the Birmingham/Atlanta VA
care program for bladder and bowel control issues
Center for Healthy Aging to support three important pilot
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center.
and their associated skin care problems that was
research projects to the tune of almost $100,000.
Mobility during and after hospitalization, post-stroke mobility
developed by UAB and Birmingham VA Medical
Sugar Babies dance team performs at Silver Stars gala.
training, and effects on outcomes of home-delivered meals are
Center geriatricians. The program called BASiC
adults in UAB Hospital’s ACE Unit to find perceived
patients, and families. Tested at the BVAMC’s Home-
leverage additional funding from other sources to expand their
barriers, value, and motivation for participation in a mobility
Based Primary Care Program, it gives improved access
research.
program, then conduct a randomized controlled trial to
with professional ballroom dancers in high-energy routines.
The event was held in November 2013, teaming dancers
To learn more, visit
www.alabamacme.uab.edu/geriatrics.aspx
UAB Makes Presence Known at 2013 GSA
Meeting
The Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative
Care made a strong showing at the 2013 Gerontological
Society of America meeting November 20-24 in New
Orleans. Richard Allman, MD, was the recipient of
the Donald P. Kent Award for his leadership through
(Bladder, Bowel, and Skin Care) is for providers,
projects that will get off the ground and position researchers to
The 4-year-old Silver Stars program pairs local civic leaders
Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, the Southeast
teaching, service, and interpreting gerontology to
to pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment
Sawyer, Swanson Receive Service, Training
Awards at Healthy Aging Center Annual
Symposium
establish the feasibility of implementing a hospital mobility
options for veterans who choose to receive care in the
Patricia Sawyer, PhD, Gerontology, and Mark
prominent physician in the aging field in both research
program.
home and community rather than an institution, says
Swanson, OD, MSPH, Optometry, received top awards
and practice who is a member of the GSA Health
geriatrician Alayne Markland, DO, MSc, BVAMC
at the UAB Comprehensive Center for Healthy
Sciences Section. Allman also was a discussant at
• Patient-Centered Approach to Target Mobility Training
society. He also was awarded the Joseph T. Freeman
Award, a lectureship in geriatrics presented to a
with professionals from the Fred Astaire Studio in Hoover, a
Post-Stroke. Almost 75% of stroke survivors will have
chief of Geriatrics and a BVAMC Geriatrics Research
Aging’s 21st Annual Scientific Symposium held in
the VA GRECC Symposi um on models of geriatric
Birmingham suburb.
N E W fac u lty
residual disability. This study aims to create a training
Education and Clinical Center investigator. The program
October 2013. Sawyer won the Faculty Service Award;
care for rural veterans and cochair (David Buys, PhD,
“We are so proud of the community for supporting our
regimen that empowers aging survivors to self-determine
did not reduce the need for institutional extended care
Swanson the Faculty Teaching Award. The top-scoring
MSPH, was chair) of the Symposium on Neighborhood
efforts to help people stay healthy as they age,” says Richard
their most sensible approach to obtain improved walking
or acute care visits, “but did significantly reduce the
research abstracts were presented by Sawyer, Richard
Characteristics in Health-Related Outcomes in Older
Adults. Symposium presentations were made by Buys,
Allman, MD, founding director of the center. “They provide an
ability. PI David Brown, PhD, will assess 20 such
rate of urinary tract infections among veterans in the
Kennedy, MD, PhD, Gerontology, and Ann Laszczyk,
David Buys, PhD, MSPH, has
unrestricted gift that could spur more expansive research with
individuals from a community activity center for people
HBPC Program,” she adds. The BASiC toolkit is in use
Neurobiology. The McCallum Award was presented to
Rita Jablonski, PhD, Karlene Ball, PhD, Alex Lo,
joined the faculty of the Division of
government or industry funding.” A community-based planning
with disabilities.
at the Atlanta VAMC and in 2014 is expected to become
the founding Division Director Alan Siegal, MD; the
PhD, and Bryan Ford, PhD; papers were presented by
Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative
committee is involved with the Silver Stars program each year
accessible to veterans at the Birmingham and Atlanta
Bynum Award to Bill Fuller, executive director of the
Lo, Angela Rothrock, PhD, and Pamela Bowen, PhD;
Care. Buys earned his terminal degree
and helped choose the winning pilot projects.
Centered Outcomes Among Older Adults. PI David
VAMCs in the outpatient setting.
Alabama Family Trust; and the New Horizons Award
and posters were presented by Michael Crowe, PhD,
in medical sociology and his MSPH
Below are the funded projects:
Buys, PhD, expects this project to produce evidence for the
to the Sugar Babies dance group. External advisory
Justin Blackburn, PhD, MPH, Loretta Lee, PhD, MSN,
• Feasibility of a Mobility Program During and After
feasibility of a full-scale study that assesses the effects of a
committe members participating in the meeting
Momanna Ahmed, and Buys.
Hospitalization. This study will develop and test an
simple, low-cost nutrition intervention that can be used by
optimized behavioral intervention based on patient feedback,
community-based organizations to help elderly individuals
says PI Cynthia Brown, MD, MSPH. She will study older
remain healthy and independent in their own homes.
degree in applied epidemiology,
both from UAB. He also completed
a fellowship at the UAB Center for
Outcomes and Effectiveness Research
and Education. Buys is on the faculty
• The Effects of Home-Delivered Meals on Patient-
of the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research
Geriatric Education Center Teams With UAB
CME to Offer Free Learning Modules
included Tom Foster, PhD, University of Florida;
The UAB Geriatric Education Center (GEC), in
partnership with the UAB Office of Continuing Medical
Education (CME), offers free, interprofessional, and
geriatrics-focused CME modules focused on improving
Center and the UAB Comprehensive
continued from cover
Center for Healthy Aging. His research
us the opportunity to intervene to help ward off functional
leading to the limitations, and to address those limitations with
issues. Each module discusses a geriatric issue while
focuses on social and environmental
decline and keep seniors living independently.”
appropriate physical therapy, ambulatory devices, and other
addressing how physicians can work more effectively
means,” says Brown, a PT for 10 years before becoming a
M easures of S u c c ess
with other members of healthcare teams. “On the Deep
factors, including neighborhood and
Brown and Flood recommended that front-line physicians
the care of older adults with complex healthcare
nutrition-related variables, affecting
should ask all senior patients whether they have, for health or
physician. She suggests greater interaction between doctors and
South CME Network’s website, we currently offer
disparities in health outcomes and
physical reasons, difficulty climbing up 10 steps or walking a
therapists to more effectively help patients.
health services utilization, particularly
more than 25 modules reviewed by an Interprofessional
quarter-mile, and, whether they have modified the way they
Number of patients age ≥ 65 discharged
from Acute Care for Elders Unit
1200
“With an increasing older population in the US, it is vital
Editorial Board,” says managing editor Channing Ford,
for us to find ways to help these patients continue to live well
MPA, MA. “Modules are appropriate for all practicing
healthcare professionals. Physician faculty from our
600
activity, obesity, and smoking–are all risk factors that can be
division write many of our CME modules, however we
400
deeper to identify physical, social, or environmental components
overcome with appropriate treatment and assistance.”
also utilize faculty from other healthcare professions to
develop modules applicable to physician practice.” The
geriatrics-focused subportal is approved for physician
F o r R e f e r r al s : 8 0 0 . 8 2 2 . 6 4 7 8
1148
918
Inpa%ents
800
and independently. The major barriers to this–lack of physical
climb 10 steps or walk a quarter-mile.
Any modification of a mobility task raises a red flag. “A
2
1134
1400
positive answer to either question should lead the PCP to dig
among older adults.
1461
1600
1000
Observa%on
216
313
Total
200
0
2012
2013
M o r e I n f o r mati o n : u a b m e d i c i n e . o r g / p h y s i c i a n
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