Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI)
BAI serves as the home base for the fellows during the fellowship. The longitudinal neurocognitive clinic at BAI offers clinical experience in assessment and management of cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative disorders. Working with social workers, neuropsychologists and research teams helps fellows understand the comprehensive care of dementia.
VA Inpatient Psychiatry
Fellows gain experience in evaluation and treatment of geriatric patients admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric service at the VA hospital in Phoenix. Fellows take care of elderly veterans presenting with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Assessing and assuring environmental safety with an inpatient team is the focus, as is the review of geriatric pharmacology and prescribing principals.
Consultation-Liaison
Fellows consult on complex medical illnesses in several settings — including inpatient medicine units, surgical units, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Fellows are supervised by psychiatrists and geriatricians to provide an interdisciplinary perspective to consult-liaison psychiatry. The rotation is split between University of Arizona and the Phoenix VA hospital. Fellows participate in multidisciplinary teams to be an effective psychiatric consultant. The topics of dementia, delirium, capacity and the prescribing of medications in the medically ill will be prioritized.
VA Outpatient Clinic
Fellows experience longitudinal care in multiple settings. One of the ambulatory clinics is at the VA. Fellows manage the mental health of elderly veterans two half days every week through the fellowship at outpatient general psychiatry clinics (Jade and Opal Clinics) at the VA Medical Center. During the rotation, fellows participate in an Emergency Psychiatry/Walk-in Clinic to expand their skills in assessing elderly patients during a psychiatric emergency. Fellows learn about the resources available to veterans and their caregivers within the VA system and outside in the community including long-term care, skilled nursing homes, adult foster care and assisted living facilities.
Geriatric Patient Aligned Care Team (GeriPact) and Primary Care/Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)
Fellows rotate through these two interdisciplinary clinics at the Phoenix VA to provide consultation in an ambulatory setting. Fellows work with primary care providers and geriatricians in a collaborative role to take care of veterans with co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses.
Neurostimulation
Fellows rotate with Banner Behavioral health to train in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS); the goal is to help them understand the role of neurotherapeutics in the treatment of geriatric mental health.
Banner Behavioral Health (BBH)
BBH is an acute, inpatient psychiatric facility treating acutely mentally ill patients. The ECT rotation at BBH is a bi-weekly, three-month experience during the ECT block. The ECT experience can also serve as an elective rotation for interested candidates. Experience will include practice and enhanced skills in ECT training. Fellows will also have exposure to TMS in the treatment of mental illnesses.