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News from
the Chair
 The
DWR Dept. of Geriatrics clinical programs offer world class
care to seniors while serving as teaching sites to UAMS trainees
and participating in cutting edge clinical research. The programs
cover ambulatory, acute, sub-acute, restorative, extended
and chronic cares, as well as palliative and end of life care.
Our Geriatricians and Geriatric Advance Practice Nurses (APN)
provide care to patients in all settings, whether it is an
outpatient clinic, a hospital ward, a Gero-Psychiatric unit,
a sub-acute transitional unit, a nursing home or a patient’s
own home.
Our principle is to preserve and optimize functional status
of the elderly with special emphasis on health promotion and
disease prevention. The faculty Geriatricians is well trained
to diagnose and manage various medical conditions with high
prevalence in advanced age. We employ a collaborative, interdisciplinary
team model of practice with a core team consists of a Geriatrician,
an APN and a Social Worker to provide comprehensive primary
and/or consultative geriatric care. Extended team members
such as Clinical Pharmacist, Gero-Psychiatrist, Neuro-Psychologist,
Nutritionist and Rehab-Therapist are involved when appropriate.
The Senior Health Center is the major gateway to our clinical
program. Under the leadership of Dr. Jerry Malott, it has
achieved great success as the premier primary care clinic
for the elderly. The Center also offers specialty clinics
for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Gero-Psychiatric
and Neurological services.
Dr. Ann Riggs is the Director of our Long-term care division.
The Geriatricians in this division serve as Medical Directors
for several Nursing homes in central Arkansas and together
with our APNs provide comprehensive medical care for almost
500 sub-acute, rehabilitative and chronic care patients.
The House Call program, headed by Dr. Delbra Caradine, brings
modern geriatric medical care to homebound elderly while reviving
the image of the traditional “ black bag” Doctor.
Older patients with emotional or behavior problems will
find comfort and relief with Dr. Lou Ann Eads, a fellowship
trained Gero-Psychiatrist, who is judicious with psychotropic
medications while working closely with a Geriatrician to ensure
that underlying acute medical conditions are timely evaluated
and treated.
Our hospital service handles over 40 admissions per month.
It is highly efficient with an average hospital stay of 4.5
days. We promote safety by reducing iatrogenicity (complications,
adverse side effects, accidents etc…) and preservation
of functional status with early initiation of rehab therapy.
Dr. Reed Thompson leads the Palliative care division, which
provide relief for those suffer from incurable illness or
when conventional medical intervention deems futile. This
division also deals with end of life care by providing medical
direction to selected hospice programs.
Our affiliated Central Arkansas Veteran Affairs Heath System
also offers many excellent geriatric programs. Please check
the web site for more details.
We will continue to expand the clinical services at the
DWR Dept. of Geriatrics with innovative programs to better
serve older Arkansans while meeting the educational needs
of our students and continue to make positive impacts on geriatric
care in this great country.
Pham H. Liem, M.D.
Professor and Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs
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