Vineet Arora, MD, MA
University of Chicago
"Measuring the Quality of Care for Hospitalized Vulnerable Elders"

Vineet Arora, MD, MA is an Instructor of Medicine in the Section of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. She completed a fellowship in hospital medicine and a master's in public policy from the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She is the recipient of the Milton W. Hamolsky Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine and a Research Abstract Award from the Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicine. Her current work focuses on assessing quality of care for hospitalized vulnerable elders using measures from the ACOVE (Assessing Care of the Vulnerable Elder) Project, a series of evidence-based quality indicators developed at RAND. She also plans to determine the relationship between these measures to relevant patient outcomes for hospitalized older patients. As the Hospital Care Content Expert for the ACOVE-3 Project, she is completing a systematic review of literature to update the ACOVE hospital care quality indicators.
Research Abstract

S. Nicole Hastings, MD,
Duke University
"Incidence and Predictors of Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults Discharged from the Emergency Department"

S. Nicole (Nicki) Hastings, MD, trained in internal medicine at Stanford University Medical Center and is currently completing her geriatrics fellowship at Duke University and the Durham VA Medical Center, supported by a VA Special Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics. She is also completing coursework toward a Master's degree in Clinical Research through the Duke Clinical Research Training Program. In July 2006 she will join the Duke geriatrics faculty focusing on health services research. Her current work focuses on the organization and delivery of emergency care to older adults and its impact on health outcomes.
Research Abstract

Aanand D. Naik, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
"Goal-Setting for Older Adults with Multiple Morbid Conditions"

Aanand D. Naik, MD, is an assistant professor of health services research and geriatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. He came to Baylor in July 2004 after completing his clinical training in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and research training at the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale University. His research interests include the development of interventions to improve the health outcomes of older adults with multiple morbid conditions. He is specifically interested in using basic and applied research in cognitive psychology to improve the clinical decision making processes and outcomes for older diabetics with multiple morbidities.
Research Abstract

Mara Schonberg, MD, MPH
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
"Breast Cancer Screening Characteristics and Outcomes Among Oldest-old Women"

Mara Schonberg, MD, MPH is an Instructor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Her research is focused on improving decision-making and counseling about disease prevention for older women, especially women aged 80 and older. Her work has examined the prevalence of mammography screening in women aged 80 and older according to life expectancy. She has also explored factors that influence women aged 80 and older's decision making around mammography screening as well as how women aged 80 and older value disease prevention in general. In addition, she has examined physician counseling about mammography screening and exercise to women aged 80 and older. During her Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Award, Dr. Schonberg will collect data on the benefits and burdens of mammography screening for women aged 80 and older as well as breast cancer characteristics and outcomes for women aged 80 and older.
Research Abstract

The four recipients, selected by an academic advisory board composed of distinguished academic geriatricians, will receive a $130,000 grant over a two-year period to perform studies in outcomes research addressing clinical strategies, innovative outcomes measures and quality of life. Research findings are presented at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting at the conclusion of the recipient's grant. Congratulations!

To learn more about this award program, click here