SIU Med School Receives Grant to Study Medical Attitudes Toward Older Adults

A faculty physician at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield has been awarded a three-year national grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation from Jacksonville, Fla. The grant will fund a study to improve attitudes of medical students about caring for elderly patients. The total budget for the grant is $195,523.

The study will evaluate an innovative curriculum in which medical students are exposed to elderly standardized patients in an effort to develop a greater understanding, respect, and sensitivity toward the senior population. The project also will measure the beliefs and opinions of health professionals about the elderly. The study is expected to better prepare physicians to meet the specialized needs of elderly patients as this segment of the population continues to increase in size.

Dr. Richard Rosher, associate professor of internal medicine, is the project's principle investigator. Roshers's research been funded for eight years by national foundations and totals $297,123. His previous research has focused on interventions to improve quality of life for nursing home residents.

Co-principle investigators for the study are Nancy McCann-Stone, a curriculum coordinator in education and curriculum, Dr. Gary Rull, assistant professor of internal medicine, and Sherry Robinson, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine.

Rosher joined the SIU faculty in 1991 after 13 years in private practice. He completed a one-year fellowship in geriatric medicine at Duke University Medical Center (1995). He completed his internal medicine residency at SIU (1977) followed by one year as chief resident. Rosher earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore (1974) and his bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin in Madison (1970). He is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine.

-30-