Division of Geriatric Medicine
Leadership
- Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine
- Professor
Mission
To improve the lives of older persons by partnering with all patients, families, and communities.
Vision
Model excellence in collaboration, inclusion and person- centered healthcare.
What is Geriatric Medicine?
Geriatrics is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in older people and the problems specific to aging. There is no specific age cutoff to be considered “geriatric”. There are certain conditions or syndromes that occur more commonly as people get older including memory loss (dementia), falls and depression. Geriatricians are doctors that specialize in care of older people and helping manage these specific syndromes and other medical issues.
Education & Research
Geriatric Fellowship Program – Fellowship Director, Kristine Swartz, MD. This program has had 70 graduates since its inception in 1991. The geriatric fellowship program has achieved national prominence through our leadership at the American Geriatrics Society and Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (AGS/ADGAP). Our Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program has two fellows per year. The fellows work at all the clinical programs listed above.
Research: Our Division is committed to excellence in research in Geriatrics. Please see our current list of Division research and scholarly activities for more information.
The Division of Geriatric Medicine Clinical Programs
The Center for Healthy Aging – our outpatient clinical practice is dedicated to providing team-based, primary care for older patients. Our team includes: physicians, nurse practitioner, medical assistants, front desk staff, care coordinator, behavioral health consultant, and clinical pharmacist with expertise in geriatrics.
Memory and Aging Programs include:
- Memory Evaluation Consultation
- Home Visit Program – Complex Care @ Home and Primary Care @ Home
- Healthy Aging Program – a free workshop series open to the community
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Program – internal referrals only
Geriatric Consultation Service – an inpatient service at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Hospital for the Neurosciences. This service specializes in delirium reduction, falls prevention and deprescribing.
Senior Adult Oncology Center – geriatricians from our Division work collaboratively with medical oncologists and an interprofessional team. The team assesses patient benefits/risks for a variety of oncology treatment options.
The Hill at Whitemarsh – our Division provides medical services and medical direction at The Hill at Whitemarsh, a continuing care retirement community in Lafayette Hill, PA.
