Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology

The Division of Geriatrics provides comprehensive health care to the senior citizens throughout the state. Educationally, the division integrates geriatric principles throughout the curriculum for medical students, medicine residents and the geriatric fellowship program. Geriatric treatment services include the following:

• Consultative and primary care ambulatory clinics are for patients with issues related to aging such as cognitive impairment, falls, osteoporosis, appropriate medication usage, urinary incontinence along with other age related diseases. Clinic locations are on the main UMMC campus at the Pavilion and at the Grants Ferry location.
• The MIND Center (Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia) is a major research initiative to understand the causes and develop new treatments for Alzheimer's and related dementias through cutting-edge research. Led by Dr. Thomas Mosley, the MIND Center is bringing together longitudinal population-based studies, state-of-the-art brain imaging and new genetic technologies to crack the code of Alzheimer's.
• The MIND Clinic was initiated in October 2013 and offers diagnostic ambulatory outpatient treatment and consultative services for patients with memory loss and cognitive impairment and are performed by the clinical director, Dr. Netrali Patel, or any of the geriatric faculty.
• The TeleMIND Clinic delivers specialized dementia care to patients at hospitals or clinics across the state of Mississippi, especially in rural areas, through telemedicine services via secure audiovisual technology. All geriatric providers participate and assist with the TeleMIND appointments.
• Psychosocial therapy is provided by Dr. Kim Tarver for patients, family members and/or caregivers dealing with the stress related to aging issues.
• Palliative care referrals and supervision are provided for patients with end of life issues by physicians.
• Geriatric social worker, who primarily works with MIND patients and family members, is available as needed and requested.
• Community education and caregiver support groups are provided by the clinicians as requested by various entities and resources in the community.
• VA geriatric faculty collaboration is utilized in the geriatric fellowship program.

The MIND Center has been successful in expanding its federal research funding and how has more than 11 active grants totaling more than $15 million dollars. Five years after the initial NIH investment of $26 million, The MIND Center's landmark Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC NCS) was renewed for another five years and an additional $17 million in federal funding. It is the most comprehensive long-term study seeking to identify risk factors for dementia ever undertaken which includes Dr. Mosley as the principal investigator.

As mentioned in the clinical section above, the MIND Center includes diagnosis and ambulatory outpatient treatment for patients with memory loss and cognitive impairment. The clinical team includes geriatricians, consulting neurologists, and psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and a social worker, all of whom are experts in caring for patients with memory loss.

Resources

• The MIND Center
• Patient care