It is possible an older patient will see more health care professionals during one episode of care than most people see in a year.
They are likely to encounter doctors of varying specialties, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physical therapists and dieticians. The confusing stream of caregivers, instructions and prescriptions can be overwhelming.
Improving the ability of physicians to work in teams with other health disciplines to provide better care for older persons is the goal of a $1 million grant the University of Nebraska Medical Center received from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. UNMC is one of 10 schools to receive a grant under this initiative. Jane Potter, M.D., chief of the division of geriatrics and gerontology, is project director.
Through the grant, health profession students, residents, fellows and faculty will receive training in delivering patient centered care as members of inter-professional teams.
The inter-professional education award is timely, Dr. Potter said, as it fits with UNMC’s strategic priorities. Inter-professional education at UNMC is guided by a committee headed by Gary Yee, Ph.D., professor, College of Pharmacy, with representatives from each of the health professions programs.
“One goal is to provide care that results in fewer emergency room visits and hospital readmissions,” said Katherine Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Professions.
As part of the grant, Dr. Jones will provide TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) training for clinic staff, faculty and residents in the medical home at UNMC Physicians Midtown Clinic, 139 S. 40th St. Dr. Jones has researched and implemented this program in 41 critical access hospitals across Nebraska.
The medical home will be an ideal training ground for the grant, said Bill Lyons, M.D., associate professor of geriatric medicine, who works with medical residents and geriatrics fellows.
“This grant teaches skills that fit hand in glove with what is being done in the medical home,” Dr. Lyons said.
Geriatrics is inter-professionally focused, said Ed Vandenberg, M.D., associate professor of geriatrics who oversees medical students in geriatric education.
“The grant takes that concept further by modeling how to work as a team member and how to form teams in environments where professionals are likely to practice,” Dr. Vandenberg said.
“Aging of the population has caused an epidemic of chronic disease and reducing that burden will require a new kind of medicine where health care providers act together as advocates and coordinators with patients and their caregivers,” Dr. Potter said.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.
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