The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency has hired Dr. Lindsey Yourman, the agency’s first director of geriatrics, for the agency’s medical care services division.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
According to county officials, the addition of the CGO is part of the county’s effort to support its growing elderly population through the Aging Roadmap, which was launched in 2019.
By 2030, San Diego County’s elderly population is expected to exceed 900,000.
The Roadmap is San Diego’s regional plan and framework to promote care, support, affordable housing, accessible transportation, and participation opportunities for older adults.
In August, San Diego became the first county in the United States where every eligible non-military hospital received geriatric emergency department certification from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Nick Macchione, HHSA director, added that the roadmap is having a positive impact on the region’s health care system and said it’s time to create leadership to support healthy aging in the County. San Diego.
“From transforming emergency departments and primary care clinics to building a continuum of behavioral health care and incorporating aging specialists in our daily work, the entire region is on track to make San Diego County a national model for aging,” he said in a statement.
The roadmap includes actions such as creating an inventory of aging, disability and dementia-related technology that it will analyze, gather stakeholder feedback, and then test.
The roadmap also provides for GIS mapping of older adults with disabilities locations for the county emergency services office, driving innovation within the city’s Aged and Independent Services agency and propose a number of actions to achieve the goals across 10 focus areas.
Yourman, formerly a geriatrician for UC San Diego Health and medical director of the geriatric quality improvement program, launched the Health System’s Age-Friendly Health System Initiative. economic.
As a result, the Institute for Health Improvement recognized UCSD as the first health care system in San Diego to join the national initiative, according to the UCSD website.
She began as the county’s CGO last month and will work closely with the county’s aging and independent services agency and support all parts of HHSA that serve older adults.
Janet Hamada Kelley, executive director of the San Diego Alzheimer’s Association and executive director of the Imperial Counties Chapter, told San Diego Union-Tribune Thanks to Yourman’s geriatric medicine knowledge, she welcomes the county’s CGO role.
“Dr. Yourman’s focus on this population will enable organizations like ours to better serve people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by identifying new ways to collaborate, reach out and community support,” she told the outlet.
TREND TO BIGGER
While telehealth has increased access to care for older Americans, there are still many issues that need to be addressed — technology, policies, and processes — to improve accessibility. access to health care for this vulnerable population and others.
Dan Greenleaf, president and CEO of Modivcare, which supports non-emergency medical transportation, nutritional meal delivery and personal and home care, said Healthcare IT News that what virtual care needs is collaboration.
“There has to be collaboration and engagement across the entire healthcare sector and in the community if we are to make a difference,” he said, adding that such collaboration “between payers.” money, suppliers, technology leaders, and community resources” can bridge the gap caused by social determinants. health – such as aging.
Furthermore, in situ aging care models require insights into social, behavioral and functional health – then act in real time, said Ashish V. Shah, CEO of Dina, a company that provides an artificial intelligence platform for home care.
“When delivering care at home and in the community, to fit that experience and make it a smart one, you have to have great vision and the ability to keep track of everything,” he said. “.
ON PROFILE
“The increase is even faster for the number of San Diego residents age 85 and older, who will see the population grow 40 percent over the next eight years,” Macchione said in the county statement. .
“The need is here and we are delighted to add Dr Yourman to the team that already includes a Child Health Officer,” he said.
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS.
