GeriScholar Program Success: Dr. Bellantoni Expands Elder Care at PIMC
As the number of American Indian and Alaska Native elders continues to grow, so does the need for high-quality, culturally respectful care. With rising rates of dementia and other complex health conditions, communities need providers who understand their unique needs.
Dr. Maria Bellantoni is one such provider. A seasoned geriatrician, she recently joined the Indian Health Service (IHS) Elder Care team as a clinical geriatrics consultant. She brings deep experience and a strong passion for elder care to this important role.
One of Dr. Bellantoni’s recent initiatives was launching a new geriatrics program at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC)—a success she credits in part to her participation in the Indian Health GeriScholars Program.
“I knew I wanted to expand geriatric services at Phoenix Indian Medical Center,” said Bellantoni. “I was able to work with Dr. Bruce Finke and Valerie Jones to pilot an in-house geriatrics consultation service in our primary care clinic. It allowed us to provide dementia evaluations to more primary care patients.”
The GeriScholars Program, currently recruiting for the next cohort, helps build local capacity to improve elder care. It includes:
- A week-long intensive training in geriatrics that equips participants with the latest best practices.
- A mentored geriatric improvement project that allows participants to apply their knowledge in local settings.
- Ongoing education, training, and peer support to ensure sustained care delivery improvements.
For Bellantoni, the experience opened many doors.
“The guided mentorship helped me start a new program at PIMC,” she said. “The connection to other IHS physicians and pharmacists also helped expand my network to other clinicians working on older adult care in the field. And the introduction to the IHS Elder Care team at headquarters ultimately led to my work with them now.”
Bellantoni’s journey is one example of how the GeriScholars Program is making a difference across the country. As the IHS Alzheimer’s Program continues to support this work, we’re seeing meaningful progress in the delivery of care—one program, one clinic and one community at a time.
Are you interested in joining the next cohort of GeriScholars? Apply by July 7th.
Dr. Maria Bellantoni is a Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences graduate and a U.S. Public Health Service commissioned officer. A recent addition to IHS Elder Care, she serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care and provides clinical consultation as an IHS National Elder Care team member.
New Video: Mini-Cog Screening—Why it Matters
A new video from IHS highlights the importance of early dementia screening using the Mini-Cog tool. The Mini-Cog is a quick, effective tool that can help providers start conversations about memory concerns in a supportive way.
In this short video, Dr. Dan Calac, from the Indian Health Council, Inc. (IHC), explains how early screening helps identify memory concerns sooner, leading to better support for patients, families, and communities. He also discusses the importance of honoring elders through respectful, proactive care.
The video is designed for a wide range of health care professionals, including:
- Providers
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Dental Staff
- Community Health Representatives
- Public Health Workers
- Medical Assistants
Watch this video and explore other Mini-Cog resources on the IHS Alzheimer’s Program website.
IHS Summit Recap: Wall-to-Wall Dementia Content
It was wonderful to see all IHS grantees and partners at the National Clinical and Community Workforce Summit in Seattle in May.
“This meeting really highlighted the power of collaboration,” said Dr. Jolie Crowder, National Elder Services Consultant for the Division of Clinical & Community Services (DCCS). “Our attendees heard from nationally recognized speakers, health care experts and tribal leaders. More importantly, they had valuable time with one another to explore and share new and promising clinical and community health practices.”
Other activities included:
- Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) Essentials: Mini Caregiver Intervention Training
- Dementia Models of Care Grantee Presentations
- Elder Health and Dementia Roundtable Discussions
- Virtual Dementia Tour
- Elder Care Clinical Champions Poster Sessions
- Viewing of "Missing Pieces: Colleen's Story," a documentary about a Nez Perce tribal family's experience with dementia
The conference drew over 350 participants, including 18 presenters for the 9 elder health breakout and plenary sessions from across the country.
Every participant heard, saw or walked away with some new resource or information about dementia. Literally! Everyone was given a bag from the Alzheimer's Association, emblazoned with various Native words for hope and dementia, which included a copy of the new Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples.
Pictured: National Clinical and Community Workforce Summit attendees had the opportunity to review projects presented by Dementia Models of Care Grantees, GeriScholar and Nurse Fellow Program participants during the conference.
