Category: Geriatric Medicine
Faculty and Staff in the News Throughout May.
The clickable links below navigate directly to outside media articles which featured Department of Medicine faculty throughout the month of May. The second annual Thomas C. Shea Clinical Cancer Symposium will be returning in-person on September 23rd, 2024 in Cary, North Carolina. Millie Long, MD, MPH, completed bowel ultrasound training in NYC to better care for patients with IB … Read more
Dr. Fernando Diaz Focuses on Health Disparities Among Spanish-speaking Cancer Patients
Fernando Diaz, MD While working in a primary care setting during his medical residency, Dr. Fernando Diaz observed a striking disparity. He was seeing many older patients with advanced-stage cancer diagnoses. And many of them were Spanish-speaking, foreign-born, and uninsured. As the child of immigrants, Dr. Diaz says, “I saw my family in those patients.” Currently, Dr. Diaz is a … Read more
Visiting Researchers Strengthen International Aging Research Collaboration
In recent years, the ties between the state of North Carolina and the country of Japan have steadily strengthened. Last year alone, Japanese companies invested over $10 billion in new projects and created over 3,000 new jobs in North Carolina. On April 12, 2024, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Triangle. Kishida even met with students from UNC-Chapel Hill, NC … Read more
95 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers Awarded 2024 Carolina Care Excellence
Each year, UNC Hospitals administers the Press Ganey Medical Practice survey to solicit feedback from patients. The survey asks our patients about their likelihood of recommending their provider’s practice to their friends and family. This year, 205 UNC physicians and advanced practice providers received the highest recommendations, which places them in the top quartile nationall … Read more
Batsis: Weight Loss Drugs are Only One Part of a Comprehensive Plan
John Batsis, MD Dr. John Batsis recently spoke with Verywell about his concerns regarding the prescribing of weight loss drugs. Batsis believes that some people want quick fixes from providers who are willing to prescribe weight management medications. However, he said that weight loss medications are only one part of a comprehensive plan. “Obesity is a chronic disease,” said Joh … Read more
Division of Geriatric Medicine to Hold Interdisciplinary Geriatrics Conference
The UNC Division of Geriatric Medicine will hold this year’s Interdisciplinary Geriatrics Conference May 15, 2024 at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens. It will focus on the 4Ms model of care – Mentation, what Matters, Medications, and Mobility – with a particular focus on the care of hospitalized people with dementia. Topics include Cognitive impairment, Management of behavior … Read more
UNC Geriatrics Discusses Heart Failure and Guardianship on Core IM Podcast
A recent episode of The Core IM podcast featured several UNC Department of Medicine practitioners who discussed issues related to heart failure and guardianship. The episode is divided into three segments. In Deep Dive 1, UNC geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine Dr. Emily Cetrone discussed ways for approaching guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) of heart failure … Read more
Dr. Meredith Gilliam Speaks to AARP About Diagnosing Depression
Meredith Gilliam, MD Geriatrician and Director of the UNC Geriatrics Clinic In general, diagnosing depression can be challenging. Since there’s no single, definitive test for diagnosing the condition, it is important to consider other possible reasons behind depression-like symptoms in older adults. In a recent AARP article, Dr. Meredith Gilliam says, “the symptoms may overlap wi … Read more
Accolades, Awards and Appointments Archive
Congratulations to department faculty who received the following accolades, awards and appointments, December 1 – December 30, 2025. Louise King, MD, was promoted to Professor of Medicine. Lina Rosengren-Hovee, MD, MPH, was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine. Suhashini Sellers, MD, MSCR, was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine. Emily Sturkie, MD, was promoted to … Read more
The Chronic Disease of Obesity
In the December 2023 issue of Insights & Implications in Gerontology, Dr. John Batsis and colleagues dive into ‘The Chronic Disease of Obesity.’ In this publication, the team discusses: Current concepts are presented about the complex interplay among the stomach, liver, pancreas, brain, and metabolic processes of the body Recognition of obesity as a chronic disease by medical … Read more
Duke/UNC ADRC Announces Research Curriculum
The Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) Research Education Component (REC) Core announces a new Research Curriculum. This curated collection includes video presentations on basic science and statistics. However it also includes more in-depth talks like keynote addresses and clinical presentations from past ADRC events like the SLAM-DUNC conference. This curriculum … Read more
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How Risky Are Weight Loss Drugs for Older Adults?
John Batsis, MD New anti-obesity medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are very popular these days. Although many people benefit from these new drugs, they can be risky for older people. In fact, the downsides of these medications for older patients can be very serious. Some of the potential risks for people over 60 who take these medications include loss of muscle and bone, nutrie … Read more