News & Events

Faculty in the Department of Medicine's division of Geriatrics/Aging will be a region-wide resource for skilled nursing facilities that see a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases, providing them with rapid-response videoconferencing mentorship as part of a national effort to bring resources to nursing homes in rural areas.

The University of Rochester Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center and the University of Rochester Aging Institute will provide virtual training and best practices-sharing to facilities throughout Upstate New York to support nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by Thomas V. Caprio, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director of the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center, Geriatrics/Aging faculty will use a videoconferencing tool that's long been used by UR to foster collaboration across long distances: Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), an innovative model to improve access to complex chronic disease and specialty care in underserved communities.

The nursing home training is a collaboration between the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Project ECHO.

UR was first to bring Project ECHO to New York State more than 7 years ago, under the leadership of the Department of Psychiatry. It originally focused on delivering best practices in geriatric mental health and dementia care to primary care and nursing homes in the Finger Lakes Region, and has more recently extended services across New York state.

UR faculty will lead 16 virtual, interactive learning sessions with participating nursing home teams. Each session will include a brief lesson paired with case presentations and discussion, followed by a Q&A forum. Nursing homes can request the instruction, and receive grant-funded stipends for completing the training.

Thomas Caprio, M.D. was featured in Consumer Reports and shared his insight into how to avoid accidental activations and other related issues with medical alert devices. Dr. Caprio's main point of advice circled around the consistent use of medical alert devices, when recommended.

Read the full article in ConsumerReports.org.

Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D. was recently interviewed for the article, "12 Life Lessons Queen Elizabeth Follows for Good Health", which recently appeared in Good Housekeeping. In the article, Dr. Medina-Walpole encourages individuals to "never stop learning and keep your brain active." Dr. Medina-Walpole feels strongly that keeping a sharp mind is critical to maintaining good health.

Read the full article on Goodhousekeeping.com

Ryan Gilmartin, MHA received the Leadership Award at Highland Hospital's Annual Service Excellence Awards ceremony on September 18, 2020, in recognition of his commitment to the hospital mission and vision, his demonstration of iCARE values, and his focus on organizational goals.

As Senior Program Administrator for UR Medicine Geriatrics Group, Gilmartin is responsible for medical director and medical services for 15 nursing homes and 33 assisted living facilities across the region. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, he was designated Ambulatory Sector Lead and later Long Term Care Sector Lead for the Highland Hospital Command Center while also serving as a member of the Monroe County Long Term Care COVID Task Force, in which he devised a streamlined and supportive community response to COVID in the post-acute setting for issues such as PPE and policy design.

Gilmartin's nominators praised his leadership qualities, including how he "fosters an inclusive work environment that encompasses diversity in individual staff and medical providers as well as in practice sites and provider roles across the system." In presenting the award, Amy Galiana, Chief Human Resource Officer at Highland, said, "Ryan is future-oriented and resilient and rises to every new challenge we face in the long-term and post-acute care setting, while remaining true to the older adults we serve. Ryan's energy is boundless and his enthusiasm inspires his team."

Ryan Gilmartin, MHA (left) and Cindy Becker, RN, MS, MBA, Highland Hospital Vice President & COO (right)

From left to right: Daniel Mendelson, MS, MD; Dallas Nelson, MD; Ryan Gilmartin, MHA; Courtney L'Esperance; and Annette Medina-Walpole, MD

In a new article published by The Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D. joins her colleagues in sharing her perspective on what it takes to effectively lead a Division of Geriatrics and ensure the success of the next generation of leaders. In the article, Dr. Medina-Walpole speaks to her passions and highlights the enjoyment she gets in supporting faculty and learning something new every day. The article is entitled, "Chief to Chief: Reflections on Cultivating the Next Generation of Geriatrics Program Leaders."

Geriatrics and Aging Division Chief and American Geriatrics Society President Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D., was recently a featured guest on an episode of Your Radio Doctor, a medical radio program hosted in Philadelphia, PA. "It isn't just about a person's age," Medina-Walpole said. "Geriatrics is focused on high quality, person-centered care and improving health, independence and quality of life for all older people."

Timothy J. Holahan, DO, Ryan Gilmartin, MHA in the Division of Geriatrics Medicine and Ginwa Dumyati, MD in the Division of Infectious Disease have co-written an article, 8 COVID-19 Tips, Tricks and Cautions for Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing, which appeared in McKnight's Senior Living, a news media website for senior living professionals. The article outlines actions senior living professionals can take to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on senior care facilities.

Although the threat of COVID-19 is still present, our doctors urge seniors to maintain social ties while staying safe. "It's really important to try to keep your mind and your personal interactions intact, while we're still maintaining physical distancing," said Daniel Mendelson, M.D., associate chief of Medicine for Highland, in this 13WHAM article.

Three Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers received a highly-valued type of National Cancer Institute award that supports team science, a strategy needed for future success.

Known as a multi-principal investigator (MPI) award, the $3.85 million grant goes to Supriya Mohile, M.D., Karen Mustian, Ph.D., and Michelle Janelsins, Ph.D., as principal investigators. The trio will study a novel way to help adults who are 65 and older transition from chemotherapy to cancer survivorship.

All are leaders within Wilmot's Cancer Prevention and Control research program, but they bring different perspectives based on their interests, training, and expertise.

"Receiving an MPI award is a feather in the cap for Wilmot," said Hucky Land, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Wilmot and director of research. "It really demonstrates a new level of transdisciplinary activity. And within any cancer center you can measure success through projects like this one. Collaboration is what elevates the work to new places."

The project will study new interventions that improve function and overall health of older adults with cancer. Importantly, another major goal is to improve a patient's ability to attend follow-up appointments and avoid hospitalizations.

The research is designed to fill an observed gap in survivorship care for this demographic, said Mohile, who founded Wilmot's geriatric oncology clinic, one of the first in the nation.

By 2040, 73 percent of survivors will be 65 or older and almost 50 percent will be 75 years or older, and yet aging-related conditions are not routinely addressed in survivorship care.

The NCI funded the multi-investigator project at $770,000 per year for five years. Mohile, Mustian, and Janelsins have robust track records for groundbreaking studies in geriatric oncology, exercise oncology, and cognitive impairment related to cancer and its treatment. In fact, Mohile and Mustian were invited to give high-profile talks at this month's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) virtual annual meeting, and Janelsins was recently elected as a Fellow to the Society of Behavioral Medicine, a high honor.

The team developed a program that combines geriatric assessment -- or triaging and managing physical and cognitive problems and social circumstances of geriatric oncology patients -- with a realistic and tailored education plan to improve function after chemotherapy.

They will conduct a randomized clinical study that enrolls patients from community oncology practices across the country. Researchers will also examine whether the new survivorship program has a positive impact on communication between cancer providers and primary care doctors and on care-giver distress or satisfaction.

Annette (Annie) Medina-Walpole, M.D., takes the helm as president of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) on May 6, leading the 6,000-member national society that implements and advocates for programs in geriatrics patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy.

The Paul H. Fine Professor of Medicine and chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Aging, Medina-Walpole was recently named as the inaugural director of the University of Rochester Aging Institute, which is poised to have a major impact across the university's spectrum of aging research, geriatrics education, clinical care and community collaboration.

"I've never been prouder to be a geriatrician and part of such an amazing professional society," Medina-Walpole said. "Though this has been a time for reflection and resilience, it's also been one for tremendous growth. I'm inspired by my colleagues, older adults, and caregivers, who are rising to the challenge in all settings and health systems."

An AGS member since 1995, Medina-Walpole is a frequent reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and chaired the 2008 AGS Annual Scientific Meeting Program Committee and the Teacher's Section. She was co-editor of the Geriatrics Review Syllabus, a premier reference guide for clinicians engaged in continuing education.

Since joining the faculty in 1998, Medina-Walpole became the leader of a highly ambitious program to integrate geriatrics into the whole of the university's undergraduate medical curriculum. Through her efforts, aging became one of six underlying themes for the entire medical student community, and training of hospitalists and subspecialists in geriatrics has flourished. She also developed a Skills in Complete Patient Evaluation course to engage medical students in understanding the importance of patient history and physical examination, including for older adults residing in nursing homes.

Medina-Walpole also served as the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Director and co-directed the Dean's Teaching Fellowship, which trains faculty as master educators.

Read more: "New AGS President has an Important Message for Colleagues, Older Adults, Caregivers: 'We're with You'"

Suzanne Gillespie, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, was elected Vice-President of The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA). This amazing accomplishment is a testament to her national leadership and expertise. Dr. Gillespie has served AMDA in a variety of capacities, including Chair of the House of Delegates, Chair of the Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee, Vice Chair of the Public Policy Committee, and Chair of the Workgroup on Telemedicine.

Kevin McCormick, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine, was awarded the 2020 Rochester Business Journal Health Care Heroes Senior Care Award honoring his exceptional care to the older adult population that he serves

Lisa Vargish, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor of Medicine, has been chosen to participate in a national geriatric leadership development program. The Tideswell?The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) Emerging Leaders in Aging Program?is for emerging health professions leaders in the field of aging. The program focuses on augmenting and leveraging existing leadership skills relevant to clinical care, research, and education. It complements the existing efforts of other leadership programs in aging by focusing on and enhancing leadership skills in promising leaders. Utilizing principles emanating from the "start-up" culture in technology and innovation, the program builds on pressing challenges that new leaders are experiencing and helps them to develop strategies to address and sustain positive change.

The Highland Hospital Foundation presented the 2019 Heritage Award to Robert McCann, M.D., MACP, a long-time member of the Highland Hospital Board and former board chair, at a ceremony at the Genesee Valley Club on December 4.

The Heritage Award is the highest honor given by The Highland Hospital Foundation for philanthropic contributions. It honors a person or organization that plays a significant role at Highland Hospital and in our community through their time, talent and financial support.

Dr. McCann has been an integral part of Rochester's healthcare community for close to 35 years, has received many accolades and honors, and is regarded as a national and international expert in geriatric and end-of-life care. He has served as Chief of Medicine at Highland Hospital for almost 20 years and also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Accountable Health Partners.

Through a collaboration with the University of Rochester and various nursing homes across Monroe County, NY, researchers and clinicians the Divisions of Geriatrics and Infectious Disease were able to demonstrate a significant reduction in antibiotic use and the associated prevalence of C. difficile infections in the nursing home setting. The results of this study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. These findings demonstrate that health system and nursing home collaboration has positive impacts on patient care in the nursing home setting.

Authors of the study included Ghinwa Dumyati, MD in Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics faculty Dallas Nelson MD, Joseph Nicholas MD, Marie Aydelotte MD, Nirmala Nicholas MD, Rena Pine MD, and Annette Medina-Walpole MD.

Read a summary of the article in PubMed.

Through a collaboration with the University of Rochester and various nursing homes across Monroe County, NY, researchers and clinicians the Divisions of Geriatrics and Infectious Disease were able to demonstrate a significant reduction in antibiotic use and the associated prevalence of C. difficile infections in the nursing home setting. The results of this study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. These findings demonstrate that health system and nursing home collaboration has positive impacts on patient care in the nursing home setting.

Authors of the study included Ghinwa Dumyati, MD in Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics faculty Dallas Nelson MD, Joseph Nicholas MD, Marie Aydelotte MD, Nirmala Nicholas MD, Rena Pine MD, and Annette Medina-Walpole MD.

Read a summary of the article in PubMed.