IU GERIATRICS electronic news for October 2002

The IU Geriatrics Program and the IU Center for Aging Research congratulate Amna Buttar, MD, MS, the new recipient of a Geriatrics Academic Career Award. We are also proud of our faculty members who presented at conferences and meetings in September and early October. Check out "Awards" and "Presentations."

Kudos go to Christopher Callahan, MD and Colleen McHorney, PhD, who co-chaired the 8th Biennial Regenstrief Conference "Determinants of Successful Aging: Developing an Integrated Research Agenda for the 21st Century" held on September 30 - October 2. It featured 20 nationally and internationally recognized presenters with interests and expertise in topics related to aging research. Over 90 researchers attended the event held at Turkey Run State Park. The conference is designed to foster information exchange and personal discourse regarding a specific health research issue and its policy implications. Conference proceedings will be published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

AWARDS

Amna Buttar, MD, MS has been awarded a five-year Geriatrics Academic Career Award from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The award provides salary support to facilitate career development of geriatricians in junior faculty positions who are committed to academic careers teaching clinical geriatrics. Steve Counsell, MD will serve as Dr. Buttar's primary mentor for activities under this award along with Lisa Harris, MD and Robert Palmer, MD, MPH as co-mentors.

Glenda Westmoreland, MD, MPH won the award for Best Innovations Poster at the 19th Annual Midwest Regional Meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) held September 27-28. Her poster, "Unannounced Standardized Patients in a Junior Student Internal Medicine Clerkship Teaching Clinic," was presented in the Innovations in Medical Education poster session.

PUBLICATIONS

Callahan CM, Unverzagt FW, Hui SL, Perkins AJ, Hendrie HC. Six-item screener to identify cognitive impairment among potential subjects for clinical research. Med Care 2002 Sep;40(9):771-81.

Wilkinson DG, Hock C, Farlow M, van Baelen B, Schwalen S. Galantamine provides broad benefits in patients with 'advanced moderate' Alzheimer's disease (MMSE < or = 12) for up to six months. Int J Clin Pract 2002 Sep;56(7):509-14.

Weinberger M, Murray MD, Marrero DG, Brewer N, Lykens M, Harris LE, Seshadri R, Caffrey H, Roesner JF, Smith F, Newell AJ, Collins JC, McDonald CJ, Tierney WM. Effectiveness of pharmacist care for patients with reactive airways disease: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002 Oct 2;288(13):1594-602.

Coull BM, Williams LS, Goldstein LB, Meschia JF, Heitzman D, Chaturvedi S, et al; Joint Stroke Guideline Development Committee of the American Academy of Neurology, American Stroke Association. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents in acute ischemic stroke: Report of the Joint Stroke Guideline Development Committee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Stroke Association (a division of the American Heart Association). Stroke 2002 Jul;33(7):1934-42.

PRESENTATIONS

At the MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETING of SGIM
Usha Subramanian, MD, MS presented "Enhancing Computer-Based Heart Failure Guidelines with Health Status and Symptom Data" at the SGIM plenary session.
Glenda Westmoreland, MD, MPH and Amna Buttar, MD, MS presented the workshop "Tools for Assessing and Teaching Common Geriatric Problems: A Practical Approach for Primary Care Physicians" at SGIM.

At the REGENSTRIEF CONFERENCE
Michael Murray, PharmD, MPH presented "Improving Medication Use in Older Adults" in the session Medical Care Determinants of Successful Aging on October 1.
Colleen McHorney, PhD, presented "Advances in the Processes of Measuring Patient-Centered Outcomes for Older Populations" in the Methodologic Issues in Geriatric Services Research session on October 2.

At the symposium ALZHEIMER DISEASE: PROGRESS, BURDEN, HOPE
Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH presented "The 'To Do' List for the Management of Dementia in the Primary Care Setting" on October 4. The symposium was held at IUMC and was sponsored by the Department of Psychiatry, IU School of Medicine and the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center.
Frederick Unverzagt, PhD presented "Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Borderland between Normal Aging and Dementia."
Martin Farlow, MD presented "Understanding Current Research and the Latest Treatment Options including Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors."
Ann Marie Hake, MD presented "Diagnosis of Dementia: Presentation of Cases."

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Gregory Gramelspacher, MD, was a panelist September 24 at a workshop entitled "Start the Conversation" sponsored by the Indiana Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and held in Indianapolis. Greg is also a board member of the organization.

Steve Counsell, MD presented "Improving Hospital Care for Older Adults: The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Program" as a part of the David Johnloz, MD Annual Seminar on "The Future of Healthcare" held at Bloomington Hospital and Healthcare System on September 12.

Teresa Damush, PhD has been appointed an associate member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Indiana University Cancer Center.

Glenda Westmoreland, MD, MPH has been appointed to the national SGIM Education Committee for a 3-year term.

Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH was a speaker at the Memory Day Conference held September 21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The conference was sponsored by the School of Medicine and its Program On Aging.

UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS

The American Geriatrics Society invites you to submit an abstract for presentation as a paper or poster at the 2003 Annual Scientific Meeting in May, 2003. Hard copy submission will not be accepted. Online abstract submission is now available at the Abstract Central© Web site. The deadline for submission is December 4, 2002.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

You are invited to the IU Geriatrics Conference on October 16, when Brian Foresman, DO, MS, will present "TB Update in Older Adults" in Wishard T2008 A&B from 7:30-8:30am. Dr. Foresman is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Medical Director of the IU Center for Sleep Disorders.

Join us at the next Aging Research Work in Progress October 22, 8-9am when Youcef Sennour, MD, 2nd year geriatric medicine fellow, will present "Factors Influencing Implementation of ACE Team Recommendations." WIP meets at the VA in D-6005.