DIVISION OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UBC
ANNUAL REPORT July 1st, 2006 to June 30th, 2007
OVERVIEW
The Division of Geriatric Psychiatry truly represents the entire province. It has members in Vancouver,
Richmond, Fraser Health, Riverview, Kamloops, Victoria and now even in Prince George. We would like
to welcome Dr. Candida Graham to her academic position as Head of Psychiatry for UBC in Prince
George. Candida is an accomplished, academic, geriatric psychiatrist from Britain. We would also like to
welcome Dr. Michael Cooper into his new position as Head of Geriatric Psychiatry for Vancouver Island
Health Authority.
As the aged population grows, so does the need for geriatric psychiatrists. It is imperative that we attract
students to the field in order to be the leaders for both academic and clinical geriatric psychiatry. Clearly
the two main roles of geriatric psychiatrists are to share their knowledge with general psychiatrists, family
physicians, as well as other health care professionals and to create new knowledge to achieve clinical
successes and to improve service provision.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate Education:
Geriatric Psychiatrists are involved in teaching in the undergraduate curriculum in all four years. In fact
this year 4/5 year two psychiatry clinical skills sessions are run by geriatric psychiatrists. We continue to
get requests for electives and selectives, both from UBC and across Canada.
Postgraduate Education:
Our postgraduate education long series remains very well received. A copy of the spring 2007 PGY3/4
curriculum is shown. Geriatric Psychiatry has also been asked to do a mini-series for PGY2 residents to
introduce them to their clinical work in a four half-day session course in the spring each year. Psychiatry
residents rotate through VGH, Providence, the Vancouver community geriatric mental health teams, as
well as Richmond for their postgraduate training at the present time.
Continuing Medical Education:
Our members participate in many continuing medical education experiences, including interdisciplinary
sessions. Dr. Donnelly has lead an interdisciplinary group in Care for Elders in designing six team casebased educational modules in geriatrics. Dr. Harpreet Chauhan this year taught an interdisciplinary course
on aging through the UBC College of Health Disciplines. In May of 2007 the Division of Geriatric
Psychiatry and the Division of Psychotherapy teamed to do an evening on psychotherapy in the elderly
with Dr. Joel Sadavoy, a well-known geriatric psychiatrist, and past president of the International
Psychogeriatric Association, from Toronto, who discussed cases along with Dr. Gosselin and Dr.
Donnelly. This was very successful and we hope that we can do it again in the future.
Research:
Dr. Kiran Rabheru has recently been funded to do an Escitalopram project for patients with depression in
dementia. Psychiatry Resident Dr. Jenny Rogers won an IMPART award to study a sub-group of this
population with substance abuse. Dr. Peter Chan has reported an open-label post-op delirium project on
loxapine. Dr. Nirmal Kang has analysed Riverview data on ECT and dementia. Dr. Akber Mithani has
worked on a project to look at adverse drug reactions in residential care and is involved with Dr. Jean
Kosac at Providence, along with others in a CIHR grant submitted for approval regarding a review of
assisted living. Dr. Caroline Gosselin continues her ECT research. Dr. Elisabeth Drance and Dr. Martha
Donnelly belong to the Michael Smith Funded Centre for Research in Personhood and Dementia at UBC.
Dr. Drance has been looking at residential care before and after a renovation with respect to behavioural
outcomes. Dr. Donnelly has been involved with an Alzheimer’s Society grant looking at decisions around
accepting outside care by patients suffering from dementia and their caregivers. Dr. Maria Geizer is
looking at length of stay data through Providence Hospital. Dr. Arvind Kang continues to examine the
Riverview geriatric database for patterns of care.
DIVISION OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UBC
ANNUAL REPORT 2007
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Clinical Activities:
LOWER MAINLAND MEMBERS
Dr. Femi Agbayewa
Dr. Leslie Sheldon
Dr. Stephen Kiraly
Dr. S. Nolan
Dr. Bruce Patterson
Dr. Harpreet Chauhan
Dr. Elisabeth Drance
Dr. Maria Geizer
Dr. Martin Illing
Dr. Akber Mithani
Dr. Michael Wilkins-Ho
Dr. Michael Passmore
Dr. Caroline Gosselin
Dr. Caroline Choo
Dr. David Cohen
Dr. Darren Thompson
Dr. David Rabin
Dr. Richard Rosin
Dr. Arvind Kang
Dr. Nirmal Kang
Dr. Atul Mehra
Dr. Susan More
Dr. Mafalda Musacchio
Dr. Hem Phaterpekar
Dr. Margot Genge
Dr. Peter Chan
Dr. Martha Donnelly
Dr. H. D'Oyley
Dr. Dan McDonald
Dr. Rainer Persaud
Dr. Kiran Rabheru
Dr. Sandi Culo
Burnaby
Delta
Geriatric Mental Health, North Shore
VCMHS and private practice
VCMHS
Providence
Providence
Providence
Providence
Providence
Providence
Providence
Providence and private practice
Richmond
Richmond
Richmond
Richmond
Richmond and VCMHS
Riverview
Riverview
Riverview
Riverview and STAT Unit DH VGH
Riverview and VCMHS
Royal Columbian Hospital
VGH
VGH
VGH
VGH
VGH
VGH
VGH
White Rock
OUT OF TOWN MEMBERS
Dr. M Cooper
Dr. F. Loomer
Dr. C. Graham
Dr. R. Monks
Dr. Carol Ward
Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria
Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria
Prince George
St. Joseph’s General Hospital,
Upper Island Geriatric,
Outreach Program, Comox
Kamloops
Other Developments:
Geriatric psychiatrists are involved in several committees at UBC. For UBC Medicine Dr. Elisabeth
Drance is on the Selections and Promotions Committee and Dr. Peter Chan is the undergraduate
representative for Year Four Psychiatry. For the Department of Psychiatry Dr. Caroline Choo and Dr.
Caroline Gosselin are on the Post Graduate Education Committee. Dr. Harpreet Chauhan, Dr. Richard
Monks and Dr. Caroline Choo have been on the Clinical Faculty Promotions Committee. Dr. Martha
Donnelly is on the Advisory Committee to the Head as well as on the Executive.
Provincially the Division has been actively involved with government initiatives. Dr. Donnelly sat on the
Dementia Services Framework for the Alzheimer’s Drug Therapeutic Initiative. Dr. Drance is on the
DIVISION OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UBC
ANNUAL REPORT 2007
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Advisory Committee. Dr. Rabheru is on the Design Group and Dr. Donnelly is the Chair of the Education
Committee.
UBC is well represented in Canadian organizations with Dr. Martha Donnelly President of the Canadian
Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry, Dr. Kiran Rabheru, Vice President, to become President in September
2008 and Dr. Elisabeth Drance was on the Board. Dr. Peter Chan is the President Elect of the newly
formed Canadian Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine.
The Department of Psychiatry is still searching for a Chair in Geriatric Psychiatry for the Institute. We’ll
await further developments.
DISTINCTIONS AND AWARDS
Dr. Peter Chan was awarded the UBC Department of Psychiatry Continuing Medical Education Award in
May of 2007. Dr. Caroline Choo was named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric
Association in 2007 and Dr. Caroline Gosselin in 2006 was given an award for Outstanding Contributions
to the Department of Psychiatry.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
There are new guidelines regarding curriculum for psychiatry across Canada. Starting in July of 2008,
new residents will have a mandatory six-month rotation in Geriatric Psychiatry in year two. The Canadian
Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry has applied to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons for subspecialty recognition, which will require a two-year fellowship, one-year within general psychiatry
training, and one-year post FRCP. This application is in process. UBC will be in an excellent position to
support the subspecialization process, including providing exam questions and examiners for the required
exam that would follow. It would also have significant clinical resources for training. We are hoping that
both residents and fellows will be able to get training in all our clinical sites, including Victoria,
Kamloops, Prince George and the Lower Mainland. Division members are working to standardize the
post graduate six-month rotations this year.
Our clinical education, administrative and advocacy bases are well established. We need to continue to
develop our research capacities in future years.
M.L. Donnelly, MD, FRCPC,
Head, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, UBC
DIVISION OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UBC
ANNUAL REPORT 2007
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UBC DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY-DIVISION OF GERIATRIC
PGY III & IV GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY LECTURE SERIES 2007
Thursday, January 4
Room 1124
Dr. Martha Donnelly
Introductory Lecture/ Grief in the Elderly
Thursday, January 11
Julie Daigneault, MSW
System Resources and How to Access
Dr. David Marsh
Addictions in the Elderly
Thursday, January 25
Room 4423
Dr. Michael Wilkins-Ho/
Dr. Harpreet Chauhan
The Dementias – Part I: Diagnosis, Classification
And Management
Thursday, February 1
Room 4423
Dr. Sheila Nolan
Psychotherapy in the Elderly
Thursday, February 8
Room 4423
Dr. Howard Feldman
The Dementias – Part II:
New insights into the diagnosis &
Neurobiology of Dementia
Thursday, February 22
Room 4423
Dr. Peter Chan
Delirium
Thursday, March 1
Room 1124
Dr. Wendy Yeomans
End of Life Care
Thursday, March 15
Room 1124
Dr. Nirmal Kang
Depression in the Elderly
Thursday, March 22
Room 1124
Dr. Brad Hallam
Neuropsychological Testing in Dementia
Thursday, April 5
Room 1124
Dr. Caroline Gosselin
ECT in the Elderly – Part I
Thursday, April 12
Room 1124
Dr. Peter Chan
ECT in the Elderly – Part II
(Hands-on workshop)
Thursday, April 19
Room 1124
Dr. Elisabeth Drance
Mental Health Challenges in Residential Care
Thursday, April 26
Room 1124
Dr. Arvind Kang
Physiologic Changes Associated with Aging
Room 1124
Thursday, January 18
Room 1124
Thursday, May 3
Room 1124
Dr. Jocelyne La Pointe
Radiology in Geriatric Psychiatry
Thursday, May 10
Room 1124
Dr. Caroline Gosselin
Legal Issues & Course Evaluation