Dr. Jean Triscott
When Jean Triscott was in medical school, she was confident her future would be in ophthalmology. Little did she know that a month-long residency rotation in geriatric medicine during her family medicine training would change in her medical career path and bring her national recognition for her work with senior citizens.
Triscott has been named the 2015 recipient of the Ronald Cape Distinguished Service Award. This award, bestowed by the Canadian Geriatric Society, recognizes her contributions to the field of geriatrics in Canada. The award is the culmination of 30 years of work by Triscott and her family medicine and geriatrics colleagues to collaborate for the benefit of older Canadians. "It's all about our team," says Triscott. "The Canadian Geriatric Society has recognized care of the elderly programs as having an important role in managing the care of the complex frail elderly."
Triscott is currently the director of the Division of the Care of the Elderly within the Department of Family Medicine. She has led the division from inception to becoming a diploma program that has trained 60 physicians to specialize in providing care to seniors, nearly half of COE-trained physicians in Canada. This number is significant, as there is a shortage of physicians in Canada with training specific to providing care for growing population of Canadian adults over 65. The reason for this shortage is partially because geriatric medicine is a relatively new field in Canada.
There are 15 Canadian universities offering COE programs. However, University of Alberta COE-trained physicians in Alberta are unique because they work in both acute care and rehabilitation settings, often in teams which provide care in wide variety of other settings. The teams work in home living, supportive living and rehabilitation venues. Consultation teams also work with Primary Care Networks (PCNs), and COE physicians are capable of doing Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM), which consists of assessment and treatment of age-related health issues thereby assisting seniors to remain in supportive-living environments longer rather than entering long-term care.
Triscott acknowledges past and present Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry leaders as critical in the evolution and success of COE, stating "If it was not for their foresight the COE would not have evolved."