Thursday, July 7, 2011

USA College of Medicine Hosts Inaugural Crampton Trust Lecture in Geriatric Medicine

Dr. Errol Crook (left), professor and Abraham Mitchell Chair of Internal Medicine at USA, introduces Dr. David MacRae as the Crampton Scholar in Gerontology at the Crampton Trust Lecture

Dr. Errol Crook (right) with Dr. Eugene Lammers, the Crampton Visiting Professor in Geriatric Medicine

From left: Dr. Samuel J. Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine; Dr. Eugene Lammers, Dr. David MacRae and Dr. Errol Crook  
The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held its first grand rounds lecture of the 2011-2012 academic year on July 7, 2011, in the Richards Room at the USA Medical Center.

This week’s lecture was the inaugural Crampton Trust Lecture in Geriatric Medicine, given by Dr. Eugene Lammers, the Crampton Visiting Professor in Geriatric Medicine.

Prior to the lecture, Dr. Errol Crook, professor and Abraham Mitchell Chair of Internal Medicine at USA, introduced Dr. David MacRae as the Crampton Scholar in Gerontology. The award acknowledges Dr. MacRae, a 1983 graduate of the USA College of Medicine who is in private practice in Mobile, for his educational efforts in the care of geriatric patients and his support in providing education experiences in geriatric care for USA’s medical students and resident physicians.

According to Dr. Crook, Dr. MacRae is a longtime advocate for the care of geriatric patients in our region. “His involvement in our academic programs is a beautiful example of community partnerships supporting our educational efforts,” Dr. Crook said. “He has been actively involved in the geriatric training program for decades.”

At the event, Dr. Lammers gave a talk examining holistic care of the geriatric patient and outlined his successes as adjunct clinical professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. He also outlined the growing geriatric population in America and the shrinking finances to care for this population, as well as the shortages in trained geriatric professionals.

Dr. Lammers, who is a 1982 graduate of the USA College of Medicine, will be the medical director of the newly established Mercy Life PACE program in Mobile at Mercy Medical. The Mercy Life PACE program provides a full spectrum of health care services, from primary to acute to long-term care for elderly individuals eligible for nursing home care. This program will hopefully allow those individuals to remain at home.

According to Dr. Crook, this lecture enhances the medical education activities at USA and is made possible through the Crampton Trust.  He added that Dr. MacRae’s mentoring and support of our resident education program is also made possible through the Crampton Trust.