Alexia M. Torke, M.D.

Name:	Alexia M. Torke, M.D.
Phone Number:	(317) 423-5649
E-Mail
Secretary Name:	Roberta Manns
Secretary Phone Number:	(317) 423-5633
Fax:	(317) 423-5695

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr.Torke is interested in the ethical and communication aspects of medical decision making. She has conducted research on patients’ preferences for end-of-life care and currently focuses on the topic of surrogate decision making, or making major medical decisions for patients with dementia, delirium or other conditions that impair cognitive function. She has designed and evaluated curricula about end-of-life care and clinical ethics for medical students and residents.

POSITION/TITLE

Assistant Professor of Medicine

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Institution and Location	Degree	Year	Field of Study
Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota	B.A.	1991	Psychology
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN	M.D.	1993 - 1997	Medicine
Emory University Department of Medicine, Atlanta, GA	Resident	1997 - 2000	Primary Care Internal Medicine
Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago	M.S.	2005 - 2007	Master of Science for Clinical Professionals
MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and Department of Medicine, University of Chicago	Fellow	2005 - 2007	Medical Ethics and General Internal Medicine

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

2000 - 2002	Instructor, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
2000 - 2005	Staff Physician, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA
2001 - 2003	Part-time Staff Physician, Veterans Administration Hospital
2001 - 2005	Clinical Ethics Faculty Fellow, Emory Center for Ethics
2002 - 2005	Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
2005 - 2007	Physician, University of Chicago Primary Care Group
2007 - Present	Staff Physician, Department of Medicine, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
2007 - Present	Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
2007 - Present	Associate Fellowship Director, Charles Warren Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics, Indiana University School of Medicine
2007 - Present	Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
2007 - Present	Center Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Indianapolis, IN

HONORS

1991	Sigma Xi
1991	Phi Beta Kappa
1999	Excellent Resident Teaching Award, Emory University Department of Medicine
2000	Best Resident Award for Ambulatory Medicine, Emory University Department of Medicine
2007	Best Fellowship Research Abstract, University of Chicago Department of Medicine
2008	Best Geriatrics-based Poster Presentation at Annual Meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine
2008	Best Ethics Poster, Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society

CURRENT AND RECENT FUNDING

End of Life Care: Patients' Perspectives in an Indigent Population. Emory Medical Care Foundation. 2001 - 2005. Principal investigator and co-principal investigator.
DECIDe: Decisions for Elders with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia in the Hospital Setting. IU-Roybal - National Institute on Aging P30. December, 2007 - August, 2008. Principal Investigator.
Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholar. John A. Hartford Foundation and American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging. 2008 - 2010. Principal investigator.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Torke AM, Alexander GC, Lantos J, Siegler M. The physician-surrogate relationship. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1117-21.
Branch WT, Torke AM. If I was going to die: The voices of five dying patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2006 Jan;21(1):96-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00270.x.
Branch WT Jr, Torke A, Brown-Haithco RC. The importance of spirituality in African-Americans' end-of-life experience. J Gen Intern Med. 2006 Nov;21(11):1203-5.
Torke AM, Garas NS, Sexson W, Branch WT. Medical care at the end of life: views of African American patients in an urban hospital. J Palliat Med. 2005 Jun;8(3):593-602.
Torke AM, Quest TE, Kinlaw K, Eley JW, Branch WT Jr. A workshop to teach medical students communication skills and clinical knowledge about end-of-life care. J Gen Intern Med. 2004 May;19(5 Pt 2):540-4.
Torke AM, Corbie-Smith GM, Branch WT Jr. African American patients' perspectives on medical decision making. Arch Intern Med. 2004 Mar 8;164(5):525-30.
Unverzagt FW, Hall KS, Torke AM, Rediger JD, Mercado N, Gureje O, Osuntokun BO, & Hendrie HC. Effects of age, education, and gender on CERAD neuropsychological test performance in an African American sample. The Clinical Neuropsychologist 1996;10:180-90.