Educational Programs

The aim of the Department of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine is to foster geriatric education in the health care field as well as the community.

Educational Goals

1. The division of geriatric medicine and palliative care has been working closely with other faculty of the medical school to develop a geriatric curriculum for basic service students. The Division also offers electives in many of the sites in Palliative and Geriatric Medicine.
2. The Houston Geriatric Education Center, funded by a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration, offers a four-tiered educational methodology in which each tier targets specific groups for training:
   1. Community-based organizations, and businesses;
   2. Students in the healthcare field
   3. Residents, Trainees, masters/doctoral nurse practitioners;
   4. Faculty and Professionals.
   
   The focus of this specialized training is:
   • Principles of Interdisciplinary Work
   • Humanistic Perspectives on the Experiences of Vulnerability
   • Detection, Intervention, and Prevention of Elder Mistreatment
   • Assessment & intervention of the Living situation
   • Disaster Issues for Vulnerable Elders
   • The Legal and Ethical Aspects of Safer Communities
3. Internal Medicine residents and Ob/Gyn residents rotate on the various services. Geriatric or palliative lectures are given monthly as part of the core curriculum. Nurse practitioner, social work and public health students are welcome to rotate on this service as well.
4. Starting July 2008, a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine began for physicians training in Internal Medicine or Family Practice who wish to become geriatricians. The fellowship is currently a one-year clinical fellowship, which will be expanded in future years to a two-year fellowship to also offer research and clinical education.
5. Starting July 2012, a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine began for physicians training in Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine/Pediatrics who wish to become palliative care physicians. The fellowship is currently a one-year clinical fellowship.
6. We also offer a curriculum and training programs on the Medical Management of Elder Abuse (MMEA). This program was designed by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, APS workers and law enforcement and funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
7. Effective January 2009, through a grant from the D.W. Reynolds Foundation, the UTH Medical School Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine received funding to strengthen and promote geriatric education for medical students, faculty and practicing physicians. This endeavor, titled TEXAS Training Excellence in Aging Studies, enables the development of new and innovative methods for teaching future and current physicians about geriatric medicine.

Call (713) 873-4692 for more info!