As a healthcare professional, having a conversation about goals of care and life-sustaining treatments with seriously ill patients and their loved ones can be difficult. The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC) has developed a new set of Decision Guides that explains complex topics associated with these difficult conversations using consumer-friendly language with evidence-based information. Topics include artificial hydration, CPR, mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding.

by Glenn Panzer, MD, CMD

After practicing as a physician for 34 years with a strong interest in post-acute care, I recently had the opportunity to be a patient in a post-acute rehab facility.  This occurred after a fall in the shower of the gym where I fractured the right L2-L3 transverse processes. This triggered pain with any movement of the abdominal or back muscles. I could not stand, sit, turn, take a deep breath, or have a bowel movement without pain.

Meet The CALTCM Board of Directors:  Dennis Stone, MD, MBA, CMD, WCC

CALTCM: What is your training background, practice setting and how many years have you been in practice?

Dr. Stone:  About 40 years in practice.  U of O Medical School…further training at SFGH and UCSF, St. Mary’s SF but then secondary degrees in Gerontology and a MBA in Health Services Management.  Headed up OnLok, North of Market Senior Service Center, Geriatric Program at Contra Costa County Hospital, Med/Dir of Masonic Home, CMD of Beverly, Regency, Signature NF chains.  Med/Dir HealthEssentials, Integritas and now Trident NP services. I’ve been a past president of AMDA.

CALTCM:  What are you passionate about in long term care?  How are you pursuing your passion?

Dr. Stone: Lifetime pursuit started with volunteer work in NF in high school.  For many years, I have worked with AMDA to improve the billing codes and payment for PAC/LTC, so that they are competitive with the other settings where medical care is provided.

Every morning is a new adventure trying to care for the patients who created

our world.

CALTCM:  What advice would you give to a new graduate contemplating a career in long term care?

Dr. Stone:  Get an MBA.

CALTCM:  What additional training do you wish you had that may help with your current practice?

Dr. Stone:  Geriatric Fellowship….didn’t exist when I was in training.

CALTCM:  How has CALTCM impacted your practice? 

Dr. Stone:  Colleagues, Policy, Setting of Standards of Care.   Great sounding board for new ideas and strategies to impact LTC and Post-acute care systems.

by Jay Luxenberg, MD

Last month I was an invited speaker at The International Workshop on Continuum of Care for Older Persons, organized jointly by the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and the Federation of Korean Gerontological Societies. As a speaker, my main concern was how much I could teach during the short time allotted for my talk.