Dr. George Heckman, a physician specializing in aging and cardiovascular disease, joins 蓝莓视频 as the Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine with the聽, and Associate Professor in the聽School of Public Health and Health Systems.
Heckman鈥檚 role, supported by the University, the 蓝莓视频 Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and philanthropist Ronald Schlegel, involves teaching students, treating seniors, conducting research and serving as the geriatric specialist across the LHIN.
Heckman believes that frailty and chronic diseases can be proactively managed, with the goal of keeping seniors as functional as possible wherever they live, decreasing the need for hospitalization, and ultimately reducing pressures on long-term care. His work with the LHIN involves collecting an inventory of services and identifying barriers to seniors鈥 care. He will then collaborate with community partners to redevelop and improve services based on evidence, measure the outcomes, and adjust initiatives when necessary.
鈥淢any seniors end up in alternate levels of care because of preventable problems such as falls, fractures and complications associated with heart disease,鈥 explains Heckman. 鈥淭he solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place.鈥