Fallon Health sponsors program to train MDs in senior care

Worcester, Mass., July 31, 2017 ― Fallon Health, a leader in providing elder care that allows seniors to live independently at home, has sponsored a UMass Medical School program that trains physicians in geriatric medicine.

The Chief Resident Immersion Training (CRIT) Program in the Care of Older Adults is designed to address a projected shortage in primary care physicians and specialists who can treat seniors.  According to the Alliance for Aging Research, there are currently 8,800 physicians certified in geriatric care, but 33,000 will be needed by 2030.

 “We see first-hand the difference made by physician-led care teams that understand senior health issues,” said Richard Burke, President and CEO of Fallon Health.  “Many seniors have one or more chronic conditions that require a coordinated and integrated approach. We believe this program will help seniors with even complicated medical conditions stay in their homes and communities.”

Given the projected shortage of geriatric care specialists, the CRIT program teaches geriatric principles of care to physicians in training who will be practicing in a wide variety of specialties and participating in the care of older adults with interdisciplinary care teams and within the health care system. Chief resident course participants take lessons learned in the CRIT course to develop projects designed to help other residents in their programs learn about the care of older adults.

“Rising chief residents have not always received sufficient training in the care of older adults, but it is imperative that they have core geriatric skills.  We applaud Fallon Health’s vision in supporting this training,” said Jerry Gurwitz, MD, chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at UMass Medical.  “The program focuses on chief residents because of the key roles they play in addressing quality of care issues, medical student and resident training, and enhancing the continuum of care between health care staff, and patients and families.”

Randall Morse, MD, a co-leader of the UMass Medical program, said it is consistent with Fallon Health’s focus on coordinated, integrated care. “The overarching goal of the program is to foster collaboration across disciplines in the management of complex older patients, since it takes a team approach,” he said.

Fallon Health offers two coordinated care programs designed specifically for older adults who wish to live at home—Summit ElderCare and Navicare.  Both programs provide an array of medical care and other services enabling seniors to remain as independent as possible by keeping them healthy, safe and supported.

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Carrie Wattu
508-368-9345

About Fallon Health
Founded in 1977, Fallon Health is a leading health care services organization that supports the diverse and changing needs of those we serve. In addition to offering innovative health insurance solutions and a variety of Medicaid and Medicare products, we excel in creating unique health care programs and services that provide coordinated, integrated care for seniors and individuals with complex health needs. Fallon has consistently ranked among the nation’s top health plans, and is accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for its HMO, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid products. For more information, visit www.fallonhealth.org.