The theme of the Foundation’s annual report this year was leadership–leadership to change the way the US health system prepares health professionals to care for older adults and the resulting quality of care they receive.  These are big changes because of the size of the industry involved (16% of GDP and growing) and the counter-cultural nature of the issues–aging of the population, problems in everyday quality of care, and the need for an enhanced workforce–none of which are “sexy” issues.

This week we are very proud of the leadership shown by Lewis A. Lipsitz, MD of Harvard Medical School, Hebrew Senior Life, and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.  Dr. Lipsitz, Director of the Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine and Training at Harvard University, is a long-time Foundation grantee and advisor.   Recently he issued a clarion call for change in an op-ed in the Boston Globe talking about the need to strengthen geriatric medicine, improve care of older adults, and ensure that all physicians have basic competence in their care.

Boston Globe

LEWIS A. LIPSITZ

Caring for the elderly

By Lewis A. Lipsitz  |  November 25, 2009

ONE THING that is lost in the health care debate is how to care for the elderly. It’s ironic that at a time when thousands of Americans are struggling to find appropriate care for their failing parents, the field of geriatric medicine appears to be vanishing.

For geriatricians, one distinguishing feature of the specialty – and one that most threatens its future – is the in-depth conversations about care between doctors, their older patients, and their families. Critical issues covered include treatment options, the efficacy of treatments, and the impact of these treatments on quality of life. It takes time to manage multiple interacting medical, social and psychological problems, weigh the risks and benefits of various interventions, and discuss goals of care with patients and their families.  more

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He explains in clear language why care from a skilled geriatrician is better than what one usually gets and what needs to be done to make it more widely available to older adults.  Already, his piece is generating discussion and helping to set the agenda.  Some well informed commentary care can be found on the elderplanner blog from Massachusetts.

Of course one man does not make a choir and we are also very grateful to Drs. Mary Tinetti, Jane Potter , and Rosanne Leipzig who have also shown leadership to their communities by highlighting eldercare and workforce issues.  Please read their op-eds as well.  

I believe that there are still 46 states yet to hear the word.  If there are others who have shared the vision of better care with the public, please post your work on our blog.  If not, get busy.  We need more leaders.