Category: Geriatric Medicine
HRSA Awards CGWEP $5 Million Grant
The UNC Center for Aging and Health is pleased to announce that the Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (CGWEP) has been awarded a grant of $5 million by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This funding will support programming over the next five years, from 2024 to 2029. According to Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead, Director of CGWEP, “this funding prov … Read more
Batsis to CNN: What People Should Know About Healthy Aging
John Batsis, MD In a recent interview with CNN, Dr. John Batsis listed a few things everyone should know about healthy aging. Specifically, he listed things that people can do now to help ensure they remain in good health into their later years. Batsis said that proper nutrition along with regular physical activity and exercise are critically important for maintaining health into … Read more
John Batsis Presents at RCCN Workshop on Nutrition and Aging Biology
John Batsis, MD Dr. John Batsis recently presented at the National Institute on Aging’s Research Centers Collaborative Network Workshop on Nutrition and Aging Biology in San Francisco. He spoke on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists’ Effect in Older Adults. Dr. Batsis’ UNC colleague Danae Gross also gave presentation at the conference. Her talk was entitled Diet, Sarcopenia, and Obesity. Thi … Read more
Academy of Educators Recognize Faculty and Trainees
Founded as a part of UNC School of Medicine’s strategic plan, the Academy of Educators (AOE) has been enhancing research and scholarship towards excellence in teaching since 2006. The Mission of the Academy is also to promote and fund curricular innovation, evidence-based curricular change and a scholarly approach to the education mission and provide a forum for education leaders … Read more
Why are GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Risky for Older Adults?
John Batsis, MD Among older adults, losing weight can be a life-changing choice. In some cases, weight loss can help extend a person’s lifespan by reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These are two conditions which affect older adults in greater proportion than younger people. Although GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic were created to treat type 2 diabetes and help regu … Read more
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