Linking Gerontology and Geriatrics Conference set for May 23 at OSU

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Oklahoma State University will host the fourth annual Linking Geriatrics and Gerontology conference May 23, 2014. The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Wes Watkins Center in Stillwater, Okla. The event is open to the public and lunch will be provided.

This year’s conference titled “A Sign of the Times: Health Trends and Ethics,” will focus on a variety of issues related to Oklahoma’s aging population, including musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace, the Affordable Care Act, health disparities in Oklahoma and ethics and aging.

Human development and family science associate professor Dr. Tammy Henderson said the reality is that older workers are increasingly a greater proportion of the available U.S. workforce.

“While age is not an independent risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, older workers remain more susceptible to work-related MSDs than younger workers due to decreased functional capacity,” Henderson, who is organizing the conference, said. “The conference will provide updates about the effect of evidence-based workplace ergonomic interventions for preventing work-related MSDs among older workers.”

Dr. Alberto J. Caban-Martinez will give the keynote address titled “Evidence-based Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Aging Workforce.” His talk will identify workplace factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and describe strategies to prevent them. Dr. Caban-Martinez is an instructor and chief research fellow in the Harvard School of Public Health’s Environmental and Occupational Medicine & Epidemiology Program in the Department of Environmental Health.

“Know Your Enemy: Aging and Arthritis” is the title of Dr. William Schnitz’s presentation. Schnitz has been a private practice rheumatologist in Oklahoma City since 1995.  His presentation will shed light on changes in the musculoskeletal system as people age and how to minimize the negative effects.  He will also discuss the most common types of arthritis diseases in the elderly, as well as how to diagnose and manage them.

Linda Thomas, director of the Office of Minority Health for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, will discuss health care issues for diverseseniors in her talk titled “What’s the 411 on Health Disparities Affecting the Diverse Seniors (65 and older) Population?” Thomas has more than 18 years of education and experience in public health administration, principles, and policy.

Jan Figart and Laura Ross-White’s presentation “Affordable Care Act and the Aging Population” will describe the Affordable Care Act and its impacts on the aging population. They will also discuss Medicare and Medicaid and their implications for health care cost, quality, and outcomes. Figart is the associate director and senior planner in Maternal and Child Health at the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa, Inc. Ross-White works in community planning on health and other initiatives at the Community Service Council of Tulsa.

Public health principles and the current health care system for elders will be the topics of Dr. Jean Root’s talk titled “Ethical Considerations in the Care of Elders.” Root will discuss why public health principles are important ethical considerations and how elderly health care complies with those principles.  A retired geriatrician, Dr. Root’s 26-year career included time as a faculty member at both the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine in Tulsa. She was also influential in the development of the Oklahoma Academy of Palliative Care Education.

In addition to the Human Development and Family Science Department and the Center for Family Resilience at OSU, sponsors and co-providers of the series include the Oklahoma Geriatric Education Center; the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing; the Alzheimer’s Association; the Arthritis Foundation; Design, Housing and Merchandising Department; and the OSU Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

For more information about Linking Gerontology and Geriatrics events or to register visit osu-okgec.okstate.edu or contact Dr. Tammy Henderson at linking.gero.geri@okstate.edu or (405) 744-7511.