ICU Delirium Study Group

Delirium Daily Operations Group

Delirium and Cognitive Impairment Study Group

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Center for Health Services Research
1215 21st Avenue South
6th Floor Medical Center East, Suite 6000
Nashville, TN 37232-8300

delirium@vanderbilt.edu

Fax: (615) 936-1269

Vanderbilt University Medical Center Institutional Facts

Mission: To bring the full measure of human knowledge, talent, and compassion to bear on the healing of the sickness and injury and the advancement of health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a comprehensive health care facility dedicated to patient care, research, and the education of health care professionals. Its reputation for excellence in each of these areas has made Vanderbilt a major patient referral center for the Mid-South.

Located in the heart of the Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Hospital is a twin-towered, 658 bed structure supported by the most up-to-date systems and technology. Designed to provide each patient with an outside view, each floor of the towers holds a nursing core so that no room is far from the nursing station. A philosophy of patient-centered care insures continuity in the patient-nurse relationship. The Hospital delivers both routine inpatient care and highly specialized medical treatment and surgical procedures. The Hospital is also home to the region's only Level I Trauma Center and most comprehensive Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC) Institutional Facts

The Geriatric Research, Education, Clinical Center (GRECC) program was established by the VA in 1975, with a mission to design services that were effective and appropriate in meeting the medical, psychological, and social needs of older veterans. This is achieved by expanding basic and applied knowledge of the aging process, diseases associated with aging, and health systems research, and sharing that knowledge with health-care providers and the community. Each GRECC has an identified focus of research in basic biomedical, clinical and health services areas; develops clinical care models, such as the Geriatric Evaluation and Management Program; and educates medical students, allied health trainees and staff in geriatrics and gerontology.

The TN Valley GRECC was awarded in 2000 and is one of 21 national centers of excellence within the VA healthcare system. Through the integration of research, education, and clinical demonstration activities, the GRECC has developed an effective method for addressing the health concerns of the elderly, and has transmitted this knowledge to health professionals who provide care to aged veterans.

Working cooperatively with Vanderbilt School of Medicine and other regionally located entities, the defined areas of interest encompass 3 major foci:

• Drug Utilization (gero-pharmaco-genomics, gero-pharmaco-epidemiology,
  and gero-pharmaco-economics)
• Prevention (Cardiovascular, Diabetes, and Cancer)
• Quality Improvement/ Patient Safety

Research efforts and clinical demonstration models developed by the TN Valley GRECC have translated into improved systems of care, yielding:

• Increases in diagnostic accuracy
• Lowered morbidity and mortality rates
• Improved targeting and dosing of medications for the elderly
• Improvements in patients’ physical, cognitive and emotional status
• Reductions in hospital LOS
• Improvements in safe, timely, effective, efficient, patient-centered care

A primary GRECC responsibility is to integrate new and existing geriatric knowledge and skills into clinical practice. This is accomplished through education and research training programs provided to students, residents and VA staff. The GRECC also serves as local, regional and national resource for geriatric education and training. Education and training programs include didactic and bedside clinical training, as well as staff development and continuing education programs. There are interdisciplinary symposia, invited professor lectureships, research seminars, data meetings for faculty and staff, staff development conferences, fellowship training, trainee support in Associated Health Professions, and interdisciplinary clinical and research experiences. The content of these programs focuses on the care of elderly veterans, and translates new knowledge from research and clinical demonstrations into educational experiences.

Disclaimer Regarding Medical Questions Posted On Our Website
We appreciate all of the clinical and anecdotal cases that are routinely relayed to us on our website from visitors, family members, and former ICU patients. While we would love to be of direct help to you and to address your many questions, it would be inappropriate for us to advise you considering that we are not clinically involved in your care or aware of all the details of your illness and recovery. In other words, we are happy to answer general questions about delirium evaluation and management or long-term neuropsychological deficits, but we cannot give any specific medical advice about your particular case. If you have questions or concerns about your medical care, please communicate directly with your healthcare provider.