Improving Hospital Care for the Elderly through Hospitalist Interventions

Grant Summary

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) represents the nation's rapidly expanding number of hospitalists, approximately 10,000 physicians whose primary focus is the medical care of hospitalized patients. This grant, which supports geriatrics-focused work, includes an educational symposium at SHM's annual meeting, an e-newsletter highlighting advances in geriatric inpatient care, broad distribution of the CD-ROM "Clinical Toolbox for Geriatric Care," pilot demonstration projects and modest support for SHM's leadership training program for its membership. This project builds on the Foundation's attention to inpatient care for over 15 years, beginning with a program which led to the creation of the nation's first ACE (Acute Care of Elders) inpatient unit at University Hospitals of Cleveland. This grant to SHM is enhanced by the many linkages between hospitalists and other areas of the Foundation's past and ongoing interests, including interdisciplinary team care, specialists and subspecialists through projects supported by grants to the American Geriatrics Society and collaborations between geriatricians and general internists from whose ranks many of the new hospitalists are being drawn.