December 2022
Top Ten Things I Learned from PMDA
Deborah Way, MD
  1. People who receive care on the long-term care continuum have many needs including medical, emotional, psycho-social, and bereavement. There are many different disciplines and support systems that go into supporting all these needs. When it is done right, long term care is great care. PMDA is about long-term care done right.
  2. Long-term care providers understand what it’s like to care for people who are aging and frail. They want to care for people who are aging and frail. They want to do everything possible to slow the process of debility whenever they can and enhance quality of life in whatever way they can.
  3. Unfortunately, LTC staff are frequently not paid well, which turns out to be low reimbursement for labor intensive care. This is just one of the many barriers to providing great long-term care. See “laws and regulations” #4. PMDA works hard to educate its members and to advocate to lawmakers to decrease the barriers.
  4. People in the world outside of LTC have no idea what long term care is. When I talk to people not in the “business” and I tell them the ways that the laws and regulations work, they are really surprised.
  5. Hershey is a wonderful place to have a conference. The conference rooms are beautiful, there is good tech support, nice hotel rooms, great restaurants and…chocolate! There is an excellent hospital nearby, the scenery is restful, there is shopping and an amazing amusement park.
  6. PA Medical Society makes us look GOOD. The support I personally had from our liaisons was immeasurable and invaluable. (“No, Deborah, you can’t say that.”)
  7. When I was active with the board, the support I received from Penn State Hershey was the best. I learned so much from working with them and (think) I understand how continuing medical education is supposed to work. (“No, Deborah, you can’t do it that way.”)
  8. I “learned” to manage small group dynamics. As a board member and subsequent 6 years of President-elect, President and then immediate Past President, I found that everyone has an opinion. I learned that frequently my job was to manage expectations without creating more friction.
  9. PMDA has a wonderful relationship with our national organization. Many of our PMDA members have served in a national level position. PMDA people are happy to support each other with education and contacts. I’ve seen many emails over the past years with questions like “Can anyone recommend a geriatrician in this area?” or “Does anyone know about this (fill in the blank)?”
  10. Roberts Rules of Order are no joke.

PMDA past president Deborah Way, MD, CMD, is the 2021 recipient of the Duncan Maclean Founders Award and has served as the PMDA E-News Editor and Chair of the Newsletter Committee since 2019. December marks her last issue. The mantle of editorial leadership will pass to PMDA Board Director Schyuler Barbour-Johnson, MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC at the start of the new year. Thank you Dr. Way for your time, leadership, and dedication!
Any views or opinions presented in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent any policy or position of PAMED, PMDA, AMDA, its affiliates, and members.
Save the Dates

PADONA Annual Education Convention
March 29 – 31, 2023 - Hotel Hershey
Join PADONA for education on relevant and timely topics, networking and a fun-filled time of events to honor long-term care nurse leaders for their dedication and leadership. Outstanding presenters for the educational sessions will enhance post-acute knowledge, understanding of standards and regulations and leadership skillsClick here for more information.

May 12, 2023 - Wyndham Lancaster
 
October 6 - 7, 2023 - Wyndham Gettysburg
Reunite with colleagues from across the state and network with others at the Pennsylvania Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine’s 31st Annual Symposium! This is a one-and-a-half-day educational event for all members of interprofessional teams of people who care for older adults residing in the full spectrum of long-term care facilities.
PMDA Job Ads

Consultation-Focused Geriatrician – Lancaster General Health

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is seeking a Consultation-Focused Geriatrician to join Lancaster General Hospital, named a “High Performing Specialty” in Geriatric Medicine by US News & World Report. This opportunity involves providing Geriatric Consults in the outpatient and inpatient settings. Outpatient consults focus on memory loss, frailty, polypharmacy, and goals of care in vulnerable older adults. A social worker and geriatric pharmacist are available to assist in outpatient consultations. The inpatient consults involve providing medical consultations for geriatric patients at our Level 1 Trauma Center, and consults related to dementia, delirium, and decision-making capacity. The Geriatrician will partner with 2 Geriatric Nurse Practitioners on the inpatient consultation service. This employed practice with a mission of educating patients and meeting the needs of vulnerable older adults within the Lancaster area, is comprised of 3 office locations, 16 Geriatricians and 18 Geriatric Nurse Practitioners. Long-term care and comprehensive medical direction is provided at 7 facilities throughout the community. 
 
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
  • MD or DO Board Certified/Board Eligible Geriatrician
  • Unrestricted license to practice medicine in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  • A health care provider in good standing with Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal and state health insurance programs
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
 
Geriatrician – Lancaster General Health

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is seeking a Geriatrician to join Lancaster General Hospital, named a “High Performing Specialty” in Geriatric Medicine by US News & World Report. The Geriatrician group is one of the largest and most well-established geriatric programs in the region. This opportunity involves providing full time care in a Skilled Nursing Facility environment, with a team of physicians and nurse practitioners. Depend on interests and experience of the physician there are opportunities to serve as facility medical director and to participate in the hospital’s inpatient Geriatric Consult Service. This employed practice with a mission of educating patients and meeting the needs of vulnerable older adults within the Lancaster area, is comprised of 3 office locations, 16 Geriatricians and 18 Geriatric Nurse Practitioners. Long-term care and comprehensive medical direction is provided at 7 facilities throughout the community. Additional responsibilities include teaching and precepting residents and geriatric fellows. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
  • MD or DO Board Certified/Board Eligible Geriatrician
  • Unrestricted license to practice medicine in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  • A health care provider in good standing with Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal and state health insurance programs
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
 
Geriatrician – Lancaster General Health

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is seeking a Long Term Care-Focused Geriatrician to join Lancaster General Hospital, named a “High Performing Specialty” in Geriatric Medicine by US News & World Report. The Geriatrician group is one of the largest and most well-established geriatric programs in the region. This opportunity involves providing full time care in a Skilled Nursing Facility environment, with a team of physicians and nurse practitioners. Depend on interests and experience of the physician there are opportunities to serve as facility medical director and to participate in the hospital’s inpatient Geriatric Consult Service. This employed practice with a mission of educating patients and meeting the needs of vulnerable older adults within the Lancaster area, is comprised of 3 office locations, 16 Geriatricians and 18 Geriatric Nurse Practitioners. Long-term care and comprehensive medical direction is provided at 7 facilities throughout the community. Additional responsibilities include teaching and precepting residents and geriatric fellows.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
  • MD or DO Board Certified/Board Eligible Geriatrician
  • Unrestricted license to practice medicine in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  • A health care provider in good standing with Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal and state health insurance programs
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
 
Still NOT a PMDA Member?

You can become a member of PMDA by clicking on the membership application below.

To pay for your membership dues, you may either mail a check to PMDA (400 Winding Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg, PA 17050), complete the credit card/billing information in the membership application, or call Jill Bennish, Finance Coordinator at 717-909-2679 to pay via credit card over the phone.
If you have any questions about membership, please contact PMDA at pmda@pamedsoc.org.
Therapeutics in PALTC Toolkit: Resource for Clinicians

During a meeting with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on October 17, 2022, leaders from healthcare associations across the country were asked to educate their members and stakeholders about the importance, effectiveness and accessibility of the COVID-19 bivalent booster and the therapeutics available to treat those diagnosed with COVID-19. AMDA partnered with ASCP, GAPNA, AANP, and AAPA to create this toolkit for clinicians working in post-acute and long-term care settings, treating the most vulnerable of our population.
Connect With Your Peers in Sunny Tampa, Florida

Registration is open for PALTC23, AMDA‘s annual conference being held March 9-12 in Tampa, FL. View the PALTC23 Full Program.
 
  1. Register for the conference
  2. Book your hotel room in the AMDA group block

Don’t wait to book your room and flight! It will be peak season in Tampa. We look forward to seeing you!
Renew/join for 2023 and get a FREE electronic copy of AMDA’s brand-new 3Ds: Delirium, Depression, and Dementia Clinical Practice Guideline!
AMDA On-The-Go
Podcast Series
PMDA Thanks Our CNA Award Sponsors for their generous support of the first recognition of the pillars of the interdisciplinary team – the CNAs
Lead Sponsors
Dilip Elangbam LLC
Sponsors