Who Will Care for America’s Aging Boomers?
Aug 2, 2010
Carl Cohen, MD, Awarded $3.68 Million to Train Geriatric Specialists at SUNY Downstate
By the year 2030, the number of Americans older than 65 is expected to nearly double.
Experts predict a looming health crisis unless more professionals are trained to care
for the elderly.
Toward this end, Carl I. Cohen, MD, distinguished service professor and director of
geriatric psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, provides training
in geriatric care to physicians, dentists, and mental health professionals in Brooklyn
through the Geriatric Fellowship Program. Since 2003, his work has been funded by
a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which just renewed
the grant at $3.68 million for five years.
Caring for the elderly is very different from treating younger patients. Some conditions
common among the elderly, such as dementia, delirium, and falls, are rarely seen by
physicians who treat only younger or middle-aged adults. Knowing how to distinguish
between disease states and the normal effects of aging requires specialized knowledge
and experience.
“One important difference between treating older and younger adults is that the elderly
often have trouble making health decisions for themselves,” explains Dr. Cohen, whose
patients are, for the most part, elderly people of color with mental health challenges.
“Maintaining an older person’s functional ability, independence, and quality of life
is a main concern of health providers who specialize in geriatric care.”
The training program employs an interdisciplinary approach. Fellows are exposed to
a variety of community settings and disciplines, such as psychiatry, dentistry, neurology,
and end-of-life care. They receive instruction in information technology, administration,
pedagogical methods, and cross-cultural issues, and may take courses in Downstate’s
School of Public Health and obtain an MPH or doctoral degree.
The grant renewal is the largest award Dr. Cohen’s fellowship program has received.
Mohammed Nurhussein, MD, chief of geriatric medicine, and Julius Berger, DDS, professor
emeritus of surgery, serve as co-directors.
### About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers
(AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY
AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for
the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at
Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s
exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With
a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate
offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis
for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond
its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions,
including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions,
School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation
through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and
BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.