Geriatrics | Boston Medical Center

The Section of Geriatrics at Boston University and Boston Medical Center is an interdisciplinary group of healthcare professionals whose mission is to address the special needs of the diverse geriatric populations of the metro-Boston area. We are committed to delivering high-quality, comprehensive and cutting-edge care to the older adult in a variety of settings, and to providing innovative leadership in geriatric education, scholarship, patient advocacy and community outreach.

As people age, their medical care can become more and more complex. At Boston Medical Center, the Geriatrics Program is devoted to the unique healthcare needs of those 70 and older whether they are mobile, homebound, or in a nursing home. Care is provided in a coordinated, team approach aimed at helping preserve the greatest degree of independence possible. The program’s doctors, nurses, case managers, nurse practitioners and social workers have geriatrics skills and experience to meet a patient’s primary care needs, even if transition from one setting to another becomes necessary.

Contact Us

725 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
9th floor, Suite 9A
Shapiro Center 617.414.4639

Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p. m.

Programs and Services

Geriatrics Ambulatory Practice

Patients of BMC's Geriatrics program can take advantage of office-based primary care, as well as a variety of other outpatient specialties.

Elders Living at Home

For more than a quarter century the Elders Living At Home Program has been at the forefront of ending elder homelessness in Boston. Over the last two and a half decades, ELAHP has touched the lives of 2,500 people, not only clients, but their families, care providers, policy makers, public and private funders and students from a variety of disciplines.

Geriatrics Assessment Center

The Geriatrics Assessment Center (GAC) provides older adults with a comprehensive, interdisciplinary team evaluation to help the patient, family, and primary physician develop a treatment plan that addresses medical, psychological, social, and functional issues.

Geriatrics Home Care Program

Established in 1875, BMC’s Geriatrics Home Care Program is the oldest, continuously operating in-home medical service in the United States, delivering care to those who cannot leave their homes for treatment. In addition to being seen at home, the care team will help coordinate other needed medical services such as ophthalmology, podiatry, psychiatry, and hearing services.

Geriatric Hospital Care

BMC's inpatient team includes both physicians and nurses specializing in geriatrics as well as pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, social services, and discharge planning specialists as needed.

Memory Disorders Clinic

A collaborative team including a neurologist, geriatrician, geriatrics nurse, and social worker welcomes those 60 and older who have concerns about memory loss, assuring patients feel heard and comforted within the clinic setting.

Nursing Home Program

Delivering primary care to those 65 and older at several of the best known skilled nursing facilities located in Boston, BMC geriatrics providers are specially trained to provide care in both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care settings.

Our Team

All of our physicians are board certified in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine and have board certification in Geriatrics as well. Our social services are managed by a licensed geriatrics social worker.

Our clinicians are leaders in their field, recognized regionally and nationally for their excellence in geriatric care and teaching. As full-time staff members at Boston Medical Center and faculty members at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, they provide patient care and train doctors and other clinicians who wish to specialize in geriatrics. They serve on professional committees, community boards, deliver presentations and lectures locally and nationally and publish in distinguished academic journals. As researchers, our physicians lead investigations in many areas of geriatrics research, such as successful aging and exceptional longevity, breast cancer care in older women, innovations in geriatrics clinical care delivery to vulnerable elders and basic mechanisms of aging. Our program has been designated and funded as a Center of Excellence in Geriatrics by the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York.

Geriatrics Clinicians

Hollis D Day, MD, MS, MHPE

Chief of Geriatrics

Special Interests

Geriatrics, cognitive impairment, dementia

Heidi P Auerbach, MD

Medical Director, Geriatrics Clinic

Special Interests

Comprehensive geriatric assessment, polypharmacy, memory loss, falls, frailty

Julia Burns, MD

Physician Home Care

Adam B Burrows, MD

Physician, Uphams Corner

Lisa B Caruso, MD

Geriatrician

Special Interests

Geriatrics, dementia, inpatient geriatrics, long term care

Ryan Z Chippendale, MD

Physician, Home Care

Monica L Hogan, NP

Ilona M Kopits, MD, MPH

Physician, Upham's Elder Service Plan

Rossana P Lau-Ng, MD

Physician, Nursing Home

Won M Lee, MD

Geriatrician

Special Interests

Inpatient and outpatient geriatric care, home care

Patricia Ann McCarthy, NP

Vanny McLean, NP

Jessica H Murray, NP

Nicole Mushero, MD

Physician, Nursing Home

Thomas T Perls, MD

Director of New England Centenarian Study

Sarah C Phillips, MD

Physician, Upham's Elder Service Plan

Vassiliki Pravodelov, MD

Geriatrician

Emily J Scarbo, NP

Leah S Taffel, MD

Geriatrician

Irina Vovnoboy, MD

Physician, Nursing Home

Megan E Young, MD

Physician, Home Care

George Rosenthal, MD
Emeritus Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Board Certified in Internal Medicine

Nurse Case Managers

Patricia Dockrey, RN, BSN

Michael Dolak, RN

Dianne Lawlor, RN, BSN

Le Nguyen, RN-BC, BSN

Ingrid Philemond, RN, BSN

Amanda Mitchell, RN, BSN

Clinic Nurses

Barbara Buczynski, RN

Jennifer Sergile, RN

Beth McMahon, RN

Patient Resources

Podcast: When To Consider Assisted Living for Your Loved One

Making the decision to help an aging adult move into assisted living can be difficult. People give so much of their time and energy to caring for a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer's disease or many other age related issues, that when the time comes for someone else to care for your loved one, it can be painful and emotional.

Provider Resources

Refer A Patient

Whether for diagnostics, treatment, a single consultation, second opinion or ongoing follow-up, BMC geriatric physicians will keep the consulting physician fully informed of the patient's treatment plan and coordinate long term management.

Research and Education

Please go to http://www.bumc.bu.edu/geriatrics/ for more information on our education and research opportunities.

Resources

Helpful information, resources and support about Geriatrics.

Instagram Takeover

Tune in to see a day in the life of Dr. Shravya Budidi, one of our amazing geriatrics fellows.

Learn more about home visits, meet the BMC geriatrics team and hear her answer questions about her life at BMC.

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