Eric Widera, MD

Widera, Willham, and Harper Help Launch New AGS Curriculum on Alzheimer’s Diagnostics and Treatments | Geriatrics Eric Widera, MD, and Kaitlin Willham, MD, co-authored the module "Evidence Review of FDA-Approved Monoclonal Antibody Treatments," as part of the newly published AGS online curriculum, "Alzheimer's…

Drs. @ewidera.bsky.social, and Kaitlin Willham co-authored a module in the new @amergeriatrics.bsky.social Alzheimer’s curriculum, edited by Dr. Michael Harper. The curriculum covers new diagnostic tools and treatments for Alzheimer’s. geriatrics.ucsf.edu/news/widera-...

A chaplain (Betty Clark) and a doctor (Jessica Zitter) reflect on their new documentary, The Chaplain and the Doctor, and the ways personal stories and biases shape our interactions in healthcare. #medsky
 
👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp382
😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Hospice & Palliative Care leaders reflect on the past 50 years—and the urgent need to raise standards, ensure access, & lead with love in a profit-driven system. Ira Byock, Kristi Newport, Brynn Bowman. #medsky
 
👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp381
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Sickle cell disease brings lifelong challenges—from severe pain to systemic inequities. Today our guests share how palliative care supports patients through compassion, trust, and whole-person care. 💜 #medsky

👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp380
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Join us! @ewidera.bsky.social & @alexsmithmd.bsky.social are giving UCSF Geriatrics Grand Rounds on Wed., Nov 5, 4-5pm PT.

The topic is "What we've learned from nearly 400 GeriPal podcasts."

Join via zoom or in person.

Via zoom: ucsf.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

See graphic for more info. #medsky

We do use a lot of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders in the US but when family members want their dying loved ones to be full code (do attempt resuscitation) it creates a lot of moral distress. The slow code is the result of this distress and happens more commonly than I initially thought

Are Slow Codes ever ethical? We dive into the gray area of CPR, shallow compressions, walk don't run, compassion with deceit, outcomes vs values, bioethics vs real world, trust, + more. #medsky

👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp378
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Is faking CPR always wrong? We discuss the defense of the slow code in this weeks podcast. #medsky #bioethics

Drs. @mararosenberg.bsky.social, @kencovinsky.bsky.social, @alexsmithmd.bsky.social and @ashwinkotwalmd.bsky.social publish in @agsjournal.bsky.social: Social activity restrictions are linked to greater caregiver burden. Read more *When Missing Out Matters* doi.org/10.1111/jgs....

GeriPal Live at NPCRC Foley Retreat! We talk with Prasanna Ananth, Dio Kavalieratos, & Alexi Wright about why palliative care clinicians get fired, global care equity, and cancer treatment behind bars. #medsky
 
👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp377
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

GeriPal Live! at CAPC: Matt Gonzales on AI & #palliativecare, Kim Curseen on outpatient training gaps, Karen Bullock on equity in #hospice and palliative care. Plus a fun sing-along finale! #medsky #hpm #hapc

👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp376
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

I did the Junior Reviewer Program at @agsjournal.bsky.social and learned a lot about the publication process and how to better-review papers. And you gey to hang out with @alexsmithmd.bsky.social! It's a great experience.
#geronsky

Geriatricians Houman Javedan & Vicky Tang discuss Preoperative Assessments for Older Adults, emphasizing CGAs, frailty screening, and the Geriatric Surgery Verification program to optimize outcomes. #medsky

👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp375
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

What's a Good Death... ...apart from a good life?

A response to a thought-provoking conversation on @geripal.bsky.social familymeetingnotes.substack.com/p/whats-a-go... #medsky #hapc

Age of Patients in Trials Submitted to the FDA Versus Age in Average Patients With Cancer. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

What makes a "good death"? We dive into landmark studies: Karen Steinhauser on pain, peace & awareness; Edison Vidal & Rasa Mikelyte on UK/Brazil dementia views—choice vs. faith. Key: Listen to patients! #medsky
 
👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp374
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

A podcast on medical billing & coding? Yes! Billing isn’t hard. Know your worth & bill for it, even if the visit doesn't FEEL hard as it can help pay for team members who often can't bill, and it benefits the patients.
 
👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp373
😀 Hosts: Drs. Alex Smith and Eric Widera

Hospital ‘Boarding’ Of Patients In The Emergency Department Increasingly Common, 2017–24 | Health Affairs Journal When hospital beds are scarce, patients “board” in the emergency department until an inpatient bed becomes available. Using national data on 46.2 million hospitalizations, 2017–24, we documented rising burdens of hospital boarding in the US. At the peak in January 2022, 40.1 percent of patients boarded for more than four hours, and 6.3 percent boarded for more than twenty-four hours.

Medicare Advantage plans could be gumming up the entire pipeline from ED visit to hospital discharge through this process. We are already seeing the prolonged ED stays are much more common, which could result from hospital beds being locked up.

www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10....

A Danish Perspective on AGS25: Surprises, Lessons, and Shared Purpose: “AGS25 reminded us that geriatrics is both a specialty and a shared ethos—rooted in complexity, guided by compassion, and shaped by global dialog." agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

GeriPACTs bring specialized team-based care to older veterans with complex needs - smaller panels, geriatric training & more social work/pharmacy support. But are they better than standard care? #medsky

👉 Blog post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp372
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Do Dementia Care Management Programs Work? We’ve invited David Reuben & Greg Sachs to talk about their two respective trials, published in JAMA — D-CARE and IN-PEACE. #medsky

👉 Full episode: bit.ly/GeriPalEp371
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

#dementia #dementiacare

We discuss the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, what it is, benefits, JAGS study showing it's more cost-effective vs usual care, & who it helps the most. #medsky
  
👉 Full Ep: bit.ly/GeriPalEp370
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
😀 Guests: Eric Wong & Thiago Avelino-Silva

The vibe at european soccer games always impresses me (took this pic in Stockholm at the Svenska Cupen)

We talk with Todd Semla & Mike Steinman about their new recommendations of Alternative Treatments to the AGS Beers Criteria published recently in JAGS. #medsky
 
We start with Todd's new pothole analogy😂
 
👉 Full episode: bit.ly/GeriPalEp369
😀 hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social

Announcing the launch of JAGS-AI & TECH - a call to action for clinicians, researchers, & innovators to come together, challenge conventions, and build a future where technology enhances humanity, not replaces it. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Providence Health Care System increased their Goals of Care conversation documentation from 7% to 85%. How did they achieve this? And how can you? #medsky

👉 Full episode bit.ly/GeriPalEp366
😀 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
😀 Guests: Ira Byock, Chris Dale, and Matt Gonzales

How can we best manage #DeathAnxiety? While some don't worry about it, others, including patients and clinicians, grapple with its impact. #medsky
 
👉 Full episode at
geripal.org/death-anxiet...

😀 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
😀 Guests: Dani Chammas & Keri Brenner

Great discussion. In this existential space, "anxiety" isn't how we think of it in psychiatric terms, but rather it's a motivating force; it ranges from concern to terror. It can show up in innumerable, unexpected ways, as @danichammas.bsky.social observes. #medsky #hapc

Death Anxiety: Dani Chammas & Keri Brenner This week on the GeriPal Podcast, we discuss Death Anxiety, what it is, how it impacts patients and clinicians, plus more - with guests Dani Chammas & Keri Brenner.

Don’t fear the reaper? On today’s podcast we talk about death anxiety and how to manage it (or at least live with it).

#palliativecare #geriatrics #medicine #nursing #hospice

geripal.org/death-anxiet...

Many thanks to contributions from all authors and others who provided valuable feedback on drafts. @amergeriatrics.bsky.social #geriatrics #DEImatters