Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Geriatrics for Specialists Initiative Organizational Representatives to the Council for Surgical and Related Medical Specialists Participating Organizations Jahnigen Scholars

Useful Geriatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Resources Geriatric Patient Care Award STS Workforce on Aging Useful Websites

Council Representatives
The Council of the Section of Surgical and Related Medical Specialties is a part of the AGS. It is a working unit of national specialty leaders committed to improving the care of geriatric patients. The Section presents an annual educational and research meeting in collaboration with the AGS meeting each May. The meetings are designed to enhance the exchange of information between specialists and geriatricians. The following are members of the Council from thoracic surgery:

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Participating Organizations
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit educational organization representing more than 4,800 surgeons worldwide who provide heart, lung, esophageal, and other surgical procedures of the chest. http://www.sts.org/

The Thoracic Surgery Directors Associations (TSDA) was incorporated in 1978 with a mandate to improve thoracic surgery resident education and to facilitate the solution of administrative problems arising in the conduct of thoracic surgery training programs. http://www.tsda.org/

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• Geriatric Patient Care Award The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' Workforce on Aging has established an award for the best abstract related to cardiothoracic care of the geriatric patient submitted each year for their annual meeting. For more information go to: http://www.sts.org/sections/annualmeeting/abstractsubmission/guidelines/
• STS Workforce on Aging The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has established a workforce to specifically deal with the issues of aging. The mission of the workforce is twofold: evaluating and educating the specialty about the unique clinical issues facing geriatric patients undergoing thoracic surgery and educating the specialty on issues related to the aging thoracic surgeon. For more information go to: http://www.sts.org/committee/sts/629

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Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars
These competitive two-year awards of $75,000 per year (plus a required minimum institutional support of $25,000 per year) are designed to support education and research training for specialty faculty who seek to launch academic careers in the geriatric aspect of their specialty. Supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Jahnigen Program is a key component in our efforts to enhance perioperative care of older adults. The Jahnigen awardees and their projects are:

• David Yuh, MD, The Johns Hopkins Hospital (awarded in 2003)
  Assessing the Efficacy of a Neuroleptic, Benzodiazepine and 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist Regimen in the Treatment of Postoperative Delirium in Geriatric PatientsAfter Cardiac Surger
  
  
• Joseph C. Cleveland, Jr., MD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (awarded in 2004)
  The Effect of Age Upon Myocardial Production

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Websites of Interest

• American Association for Thoracic Surgery
  http://www.aats.org/
• The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  http://www.sts.org
• Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA)
  http://www.tsda.org
• TSDA Surgery Patient Geriatrics and the Thoracic Surgery Patient Curriculum
  http://www.tsda.org/curriculum/geriatrics.htm