Kerri Foxhill, dietitian; Nicole Saur, MD, colorectal surgeon and co-chair of GERI; Mary Pat Lynch, Cancer Service Line administrator and co-chair of GERI; Esme Singer, MD, associate chief medical officer; Rose Onyeali, MD, geriatrician. Not pictured: Cassie Strohl, CRNP, MSN, a geriatric nurse practitioner and collaborator with Onyeali for the geriatric consulting service.
In May, Pennsylvania Hospital received the Age-Friendly Health System – Committed to Care Excellence designation. Selected by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, PAH was recognized for its current and developing interventions that strive to improve care for older adults in Philadelphia and surrounding communities.
“We’re proud to be part of a hospital that promotes age-appropriate care for all who come to PAH. From the clinical care delivery, to the hospital’s physical environment, to everyday staff-patient interactions, we’re considering all the ways we can enhance the PAH experience for our older patients,” said Mary Pat Lynch, DNP, RN, AOCN, NEA-BC, administrative director for the Cancer Service Line.
PAH’s Geriatric Encompassing Resources and Initiatives (GERI) workgroup has established interventions that uphold the four M’s of Age-Friendly care:
- Medication: Pharmacists completing medication reviews to determine prescriptions to avoid or discontinue that may have adverse drug effects on older adults.
- Mentation: Screening patients for signs of delirium, depression, and dementia. Helping them navigate care and adjust to the unfamiliarity of a hospital setting.
- Mobility: Holding physical therapy consultations to help patients in recovery from surgeries. Evaluating if a patient is at risk for falling or in need of assisted devices to move around efficiently.
- Matters: Personalizing patients’ care to achieve their own goals.
“What is important to the patient is crucial,” said Lynch, who serves as co-chair of the GERI workgroup. “They may want to walk to the end of the hallway by a certain date or be well enough to attend their granddaughter’s wedding, and we’re here to support them every step of the way.”
To further promote the four M’s, PAH launched its first geriatric consulting service and welcomed its first geriatrician in August: Rose Onyeali, MD, a clinical assistant professor of Geriatric Medicine, who previously completed her fellowship with the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and served as a hospitalist at PAH.
Meet Geriatrician Rose Onyeali, MD
Rose Onyeali, MD
Growing up in Colorado, Onyeali initially wanted to pursue engineering. After seeing her mother’s thoughtful interactions with individuals as a social worker, she found herself drawn to compassionate care for others as well, eventually following a professional path to medicine. Onyeali attended medical school at the University of Virginia where she worked closely with older adult patients in clinical rotations and nursing homes. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
At PAH, Onyeali will be providing consulting services to older adult patients in various ways, such as helping patients overcome delirium after a surgical procedure, de-prescribing medications that may be hindering a patient’s cognition, and meeting with caregivers on post-procedure planning to ensure a patient’s home is a safe environment and free of falling risks.
“We’re there to have those difficult, yet important conversations about placement for patients who may be experiencing cognitive impairment or require more assisted living services,” said Onyeali. “We want to support the caregivers through these services as well and help them understand and navigate how to best care for their loved ones.”
Onyeali hopes to expand the geriatric consulting services at PAH by onboarding more geriatricians in the future, in addition to encouraging more educational opportunities for current staff. Starting October 1, the International Day of the Older Person, PAH will be holding grand rounds and training related to geriatric care.
“I’m honored and excited to be part of these new services,” said Onyeali. “I find joy in helping older adults live the life they want, whether that’s maintaining an active lifestyle or simply just wanting to relax and spend time with family.”