Geriatrics Fellowship – Teaching Sites
Most teaching sites for the geriatrics fellowship are conveniently located within 1/2 mile of each other.
Ambulatory Clinic
The Monk Geriatric Center, operated by the Department of Family Medicine is the primary training site for the Fellowship. This ambulatory setting provides the focus for:
- understanding treatment of chronic illness
- multidisciplinary approach to care for older adults
- maintenance and improvement of the patient’s level of function, including independence and living at home
- development of individualized treatment plans based on the “5Ms of Geriatrics” model
- practice of appropriate referral
Hospital and Outpatient Rehabilitation Center
An understanding of rehabilitative principles is essential in the total management of geriatric patients. Through care of patients in the nursing home and both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services in the hospital, Fellows have an opportunity to apply rehabilitative principles to the treatment of conditions such as stroke, hip fracture, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and cardiopulmonary disorders.
Home Care
The home care component of training provides experience in assessment protocols for patients, their home environment, and their family and social support systems in order to develop an appropriate management plan, help the patient and family set goals for improving the quality of life and care, and to evaluate patient progress.
Hospital
ECU Health Medical Center (formerly Pitt County Memorial Hospital, then Vidant Medical Center) is the only hospital in the county and serves as referral center for the 29-county region. Private physicians make up a large proportion of the medical staff at the hospital, giving Fellows a balance of contact with community physicians, hospitalists, and university faculty attendings.
Inpatient Hospice House
Sometimes hospice patients have symptoms that are difficult to manage at home. At The Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice, patients receive 24 hour-a-day care to maximize comfort. Patients and their families can be together in a home-like environment as hospice staff works to stabilize a patient’s symptoms while providing comfort and support.
Clinical Research
Each Fellow collaborates closely with faculty members to design, conduct, analyze, and present a clinical research project during the fellowship year. Fellows can choose a topic that interests them, or work on an existing research project. There are resources with knowledgeable faculty members within the geriatric division and the research division. Librarians and research experts from the ECU IRB office will also aid with research projects. Many Fellows present their research during the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society or publish in medical journals.