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News Releases & Publications



News Releases:




   U-M and Johns Hopkins team up to develop dementia treatment tool for family caregivers (June 2013)
Aside from memory loss and cognitive impairments, often the most difficult aspect of caring for people with dementia is treating their disruptive changes in behavior. With no reliable medications to treat them and limited information for caregivers regarding alternative therapies, these behavior changes are frequently the source of increased upset, stress and burden to families. Read more


  UMHS-St. Joseph geriatrics unit featured in the news (June 2013)
An announcement by UMHS and St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor to open a new, jointly operated Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit was shared with the community via coverage in several local outlets. Stories have run in Crain’s, Michigan Radio, AnnArbor.com and the Ann Arbor Journal. It was also viewed thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter. Read more


  Children of long-lived parents less likely to get cancer - new study by Dr. Kenneth Langa (May 2013)
Old parents may be good for your health. Children of parents who live to a ripe old age are more likely to live longer, and are less prone to cancer and other common diseases associated with aging, according to a study co-authored by a University of Michigan researcher. Read more


  U-M teams up with St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor to create hospital unit for seniors (May 2013)
In a joint effort to improve health outcomes for the region’s older adult patient population, the University of Michigan Health System and St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor will collaborate to open a medical care unit specializing in geriatric care. The new Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit brings together the area’s foremost geriatric experts. Read more


  Dr. Robert Wessells studies impact of exercise on aging flies (May 2013)
The journal International Innovation recently featured Robert Wessells, PhD, and his team of researchers. They use flies as a model for studying the effects of exercise on aging, and seek to understand the genetic reasons why exercise preserves heart function, not only in flies, but in humans as well. Read more


  Dr. Richard Miller quoted in Washington Post: hypothalamus affects aging (May 2013)
A mechanism that controls aging has been identified in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls most of the basic functions of life. By manipulating this mechanism, researchers have both shortened and lengthened the life span of mice. The discovery reveals several new drug targets that may delay the onset of age-related disease. Read more


  Dr. Helen Kales co-authors study on appropriate antidepressant dosages (May 2013)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s warning that high doses of the antidepressant citalopram can cause potentially serious abnormal heart rhythms might be doing more harm than good. The new Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System and University of Michigan study calls into question the FDA’s warning. Read more


  Dr. Jeffrey Halter interviewed in WSJ on how to improve diabetes care for the elderly (Apr 2013)
More than a quarter of Americans 65 and older have Type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and roughly another 50% have a condition known as prediabetes. Diabetics are also living longer, and are often saddled with a range of complicating health problems. Read more


  Sub-acute care service highlighted in Hospital Case Management (Apr 2013)
Physicians and nurse practitioners on the University of Michigan Health System's Subacute Service visit patients transferred to skilled nursing facilities after a hospital stay and provide follow-up care. The initiative has reduced the average length of stay. Read more


  Dr. Kenneth Langa co-authors study on high costs of dementia care (Apr 2013)
The costs of caring for people with dementia in the U.S. are comparable to – if not greater than – those for heart disease and cancer, according to new estimates by researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and nonprofit RAND Corporation. Annual healthcare costs tied to dementia, including both formal and unpaid care, reach $159-$215 billion. Read more

News Archives:

2013



   New medical program to help train next generation of palliative care providers in region (Mar 2013)
Helen Snow had just returned home from hiking the Appalachian mountains when she experienced sudden symptoms of a condition that would ultimately require reliance on an oxygen tank. The onetime active pet groomer, dog show competitor, and gardener was eventually diagnosed with dermatomyositis (DM). Read more


  Dr. Raymond Yung interviewed about new palliative care program (Mar 2013)
The University of Michigan Health System has begun training teams of palliative care specialists. The new Adult Palliative Medicine Program puts more focus on helping patients manage the physical and emotional pain from chronic disease and dying. U-M Chief of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Dr. Raymond Yung  is guiding the program. Read more


  Dr. Fitz Blake: Palliative care is an important part of medical training (Mar 2013)
Modern medicine is full of innovation. It can extend life in ways once thought impossible, but those breakthroughs come at great cost and potential risk. Dr. Fitz Blake believes the future of medicine lies in returning to the core of the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Blake is a hospice & palliative medicine fellow well versed in the fast pace of the emergency room. Read more


  Dr. Andrzej Galecki co-authors new book on statistical models (Mar 2013)
Andrzej Galecki, M.D., Ph.D., research professor in the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Institute of Gerontology, and research scientist in the Department of Biostatistics at U-M School of Public Health, recently co-authored a new book, "Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using R: A Step-by-Step Approach." Read more


  100-year-old Geriatrics Center patient on exercise: “You’re never too old to start” (Mar 2013)
In between chats with friends and quips with her fitness trainer, Margaret Rookes spent a recent morning walking on the treadmill, stepping on a NuStep and leg pressing 100 pounds. When it comes to maintaining her three-times-a-week, 75-minute workout routine, Margaret makes no excuses – not even the fact that she just turned 100 years old. Read more


  Best Doctors in America list honors Geriatrics Center physicians (Feb 2013)
More than 400 UMHS physicians were named to the 2013 Best Doctors in America® list, including 35 affiliated with the Geriatrics Center. Here are our honorees, with their specialty (or specialties) listed in parentheses. Read more


  Dr. Helen Kales study named one of top 10 psychiatry stories of 2012 (Feb 2013)
Journal Watch Psychiatry has named a University of Michigan Health System study as one of the top 10 stories of 2012. The study – whose lead author is Helen C. Kales, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at the U-M Medical School and researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System – evaluated how antipsychotics affect mortality risk in dementia patients. Read more


  Eleven Geriatrics faculty newly-boarded in Palliative Medicine (Feb 2013)
In the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, 11 faculty members have recently gained board certification in Palliative Medicine. This brings the division’s total to 17 faculty members with dual certification in Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine, representing the majority of the division’s clinical faculty. Read more


  Dr. Jocelyn Wiggins named an inaugural member of Internal Medicine society for excellence (Jan 2013)
Jocelyn Wiggins, BM, BCh, has been inducted into the Department of Internal Medicine Clinical Excellence Society, entitled Academiae Laureati Medici. She is one of the inaugural members of the society, which is designed to recognize clinical excellence in the DOIM. Read more


  Geriatrics Center patient shares story of surviving the Holocaust in book "I Have to Survive" (Jan 2013)
“I remember my father saying after we left Lodz, ‘I have to survive the war. I have to survive the war.’ And this was in my head, you know. I felt I have to survive the war. And maybe this was the reason I really was strong, to tell myself, I have to do it, I have to do it.” Read more


  Dr. Jay Bhatt, geriatrics fellow, honored by AMA (Jan 2013)
Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA, a geriatric medicine fellow, has been named one of only four recipients of the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s 2013 Resident and Fellow Leadership Award. This national award honors achievements in community service, medical education, and public health. Read more


  Geriatrics Center and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute featured in Where To Retire Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and Michigan Daily

2012

Drs. Preeti Malani, Maria Silveira, and Caroline Vitale publish new study reviewing antimicrobial use in patients with advanced cancer - December 2012

Dr. Gregory Cartee leads new studies on skeletal muscle and aging - December 2012

Dr. David Lombard publishes study in Cell on anti-aging gene and tumor suppression - December 2012

Dr. Helen Kales identifies six steps for managing dementia without medication - December 2012

Dr. Alan Dengiz among experts in award-winning TV show - December 2012

MCubed funds new collaborative research projects with Geriatrics faculty - December 2012

Dr. Richard Miller Named AAAS Fellow - 12/3/12

Support Care Transitions with Smart Use of Time and Energy - 11/16/12

Experts including Dr. Jeffrey Halter report gaps in knowledge, call for more research on diabetes in older adults - 10/26/12

Elderly Men Most Likely to Committ Suicide - 8/13/12

U.S. News & World Report Ranks U-M Hospitals Among America's Best - 7/21/12

Sub-Acute Care Service reduces hospital stays and readmissions - 7/26/12

NIH Plans to Cure Alzheimer's Disease by 2050 - 5/16/12

Older adults with diabetes live long enough to benefit from interventions and research - 5/2/12

Dr. Marcos Montagnini selected for Spirit of Planetree Award - April 2012

Mary Rumman named 2012 Social Worker of the Year - 3/29/12

One in Seven with Alzheimer's or Other Dementia Lives Alone - 3/8/12

Phosphate Enemas May Be Deadly in Elderly - 2/24/12

New Phone Number to U-M Memory Loss and Dementia Services - 2/23/12

High Rates of Disability and Healthcare Use Found in Older Americans With Cirrhosis - 1/10/12

Understanding Delirium - Winter 2011/12

2011

2010

2009


Publications:

Advisor - Summer 2010

Advisor - Spring 2009

Turner Programs and Activities for Seniors - Winter/Spring 2013