Geriatric Fellowship

Director: Adriana Hermida, M.D.

Address: Wesley Woods Center1841 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

E-mail: ahermid@emory.edu

Coordinator: Amy Cromwell

Contact: acromwe@emory.edu or 404-728-6470

Level: PGY-5

Annual Stipend:  $57,922 (2012-2013)

Positions: 2

Accreditation: ACGME

The Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program is a one-year program. Training is conducted at the Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital and affiliations. Fellows receive direct supervision in medical, neurological and psychiatry evaluation and management of a varied geriatric population. The standard inpatient caseload is between 4-6 inpatients; the partial hospitalization experience will be between 1-3 patients. The fellow will also have the opportunity to have in-depth training in Electroconvulsive Therapy. Fellows will receive selective training at other affiliations such as Wesley Woods Health Center, Budd Terrace, Presbyterian Village, AG Rhodes Nursing, and Fountainview Nursing Home.
The program has ongoing seminars covering specific reading assignments from three geriatric psychiatry textbooks covering areas of normal aging, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, diagnostic issues, management, treatment outcome, psychotherapy, cultural diversity, epidemiology, quality of life issues, death and dying issues, psychological testing in the elderly and medical ethics.
A more detailed description of our program can be requested by emailing Amy Cromwell at acromwe@emory.edu.

Specific Goals/Objectives of Rotations

A. Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital Inpatient Service

1. To develop expertise in the initial assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis of geriatric psychiatry inpatients.
2. To develop expertise in the treatment and complex management of geriatric psychiatry patients with a wide range of psychiatric illness and medical co-morbidity.
3. To develop expertise and understanding of the multi-disciplinary approach to treatment and management.
4. To develop expertise in discharge planning of geriatric psychiatry patients.

B. Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital Partial Hospital Program

1. To develop expertise in less-restrictive treatment modalities
2. To understand and develop skills in using intensive outpatient group therapies
3. To develop expertise in the management of patients that have been recently discharged from inpatient while having continued active psychiatric illness

C. Wesley Woods Outpatient Clinic

1. To develop skills and expertise in the diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and management of geriatric psychiatric outpatients
2. To develop skills in the management of long-term outpatients
3. To learn skills in addressing continued care issues of outpatients

D. Nursing Home Rotations

1. To develop expertise in diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and management of nursing home patients.
2. To learn skills in working with nursing home staff to better the quality of care of nursing home residents
3. To enhance long-term skills in the use of psychopharmacology in the frail elderly
4. To provide opportunities to teach nursing home staff

E. ECT

1. To properly diagnosis patients for indications for ECT
2. To properly evaluate patients for ECT
3. To properly obtain consent for ECT
4. To properly conduct ECT
5. To develop expertise in ECT pharmacology
6. To manage complications from ECT
7. To develop expertise in maintenance ECT

Staff

Geriatric Psychiatry staff currently consists of 6 full time geriatric psychiatrists who are all certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and with the Added Qualifications in Geriatric Psychiatry. In addition, we also have 2 gerontological nurse practitioners.

Qualifications

Applicants must complete a psychiatry residency program before beginning the geriatric fellowship program (PGY-5) and should be qualified to obtain a Georgia State License. Detailed information about our program can be requested in writing or by emailing Amy Cromwell at acromwe@emory.edu.  Applicants are required to request 3 reference letters (one from their program director), curriculum vitae, and a copy of your medical school diploma.