Reducing Health Care Costs in the Elderly: Whose Responsibility?
Saturday, April 9, 2005
Room E102
9:30 a.m.
Susan Swanlund (School of Nursing): Promoting Health in the Elderly
Nancy Annegers '70: Nursing Homes: Boon or Bust?
Hon. Bill Brady '83, Illinois State Senator, 44th District: The Government's Role: More or Less?
Kristen Lee '05: Recognize Patient Strengths!
Marsha Prater '78: Reducing Costs in Acute Care Facilities
Kathryn Scherck (School of Nursing), Moderator
Professor Swanlund heads a team of four School of Nursing faculty who are conducting funded research on “Successful Medication Self-Management in the Elderly.” Following extensive interviews by students, the team has analyzed data to better understand factors related to the issue of successful medication self-management in today's older population who live independently. Nancy Annegers is the Nursing Field Supervisor for Heritage Enterprises, a for-profit company owning 35 nursing homes in Illinois. She has spent the majority of her career in long term care, from Director of Nursing at BroMenn Long Term Care to her current position, which takes her across the State of Illinois. She is an expert on regulatory issues as well as nursing care of the elderly. Her education includes significant post graduate study in geriatrics and nursing home administration.
Sen. Brady has been in the General Assembly since his election to the House of Representatives in 1993. He served in that elected position until his appointment to the Senate in 2002. He is currently minority spokesman in the Committee on Insurance and serves on the Revenue Subcommittee. Senator Brady brings a perspective on state government's challenge to provide for the health care needs of older adults.
Kristen has participated in the faculty's program of research on medication self-management of the elderly over a three year period. As a data collector on the faculty research project, she has learned the complexity of individual medication regimens and the importance of knowing the patient for effective self-management.
Dr. Prater is the Vice President for Patient Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. She has been an administrator in an acute care setting for over 13 years. An 1978 IWU graduate, she has since received a Masters in Health Education and Ph.D. in General Administration from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. In 1995, Dr. Prater participated in the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Fellows Program in Management at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Prater's expertise in managing a budget in excess of $250 million will prove invaluable in the discussion of health care dollars allocated to older adults.
