Gerontology

Read About Geron Alumni

Elizabeth Ciampa, MS in Gerontology
Year of graduation: December 2007
Job position title: Research Analyst, Krasnoff Quality Management Institute, North Shore- LIJ Health System.

Hofstra's gerontology program provided me with the gerontological background necessary to further understand the psychical, social, and psychological impacts on the rapidly growing elderly population.  While immersing my knowledge and research in gerontology, I became especially interested in the neuropsychological basis of the geriatric population and the need to implement neuropsychological assessment for our rapidly aging population.

In order to understand the implementation of neuropsychological assessment on aging populations, I interned at Transitions of Long Island, a comprehensive Neurorehabilition Center.  I became familiar with many of the neuropsychological diagnostic testing methods through imputing clinical patient data related to traumatic brain injury and creating databases pertaining to the appropriate neuropsychological testing methods. 

After completing my internships in the Department of Neurology at North Shore University Hospital in their Stroke Unit, I became dismayed by the lack of vital “geriatric friendly” secondary stroke prevention that is given out upon discharge from the Stroke Unit.  Therefore, I implemented, created and independently raised over one thousand dollars to fund a Secondary Stroke Prevention discharge booklet for geriatric stroke patients through the creation of my “KNOW Stroke Bracelet©”.  This patent bracelet will now continue to raise money for Stroke Awareness and Education as well as the implementation of neuropsychological testing for stroke victims. The thousands of individuals that get discharged from North Shore University Hospital with a diagnosis of stroke will now have Stroke Awareness and Educational materials that can be presented in a manner that is appropriate for the geriatric patient.

Subsequently, I was offered a full time position as a Research Data Analyst for the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology.  This position required maintenance of National Stroke and Neurosurgery Databases.  I analyzed and reported quality findings to the hospital as part of the Stroke Task Force.  Through data analysis, I made recommendations for improvement initiatives and reported data trends and analysis to physicians and quality meetings as part of the Performance Improvement Coordinating Group.  My Masters Thesis on “The Effects of Complementary Modalities and an Inta Hospital Peer Support Program on Stroke Survivors and Caregivers” at North Shore University Hospital provided the basis for providing a multidisciplinary approach to caring for geriatric and stroke patients through the utilization of psychotherapy and alternative therapies including pet, art, and music therapies.  My Masters Thesis gained the attention of the North Shore University Health System and the North Shore University Harvey Cushing Institute of Neuroscience has decided to submit this thesis for The Northeast Cerebrovascular Consortium Grant for rehabilitation. The overall goals and objectives to incorporating a Stroke Peer Support and Alternative Therapies program would be to provide stroke survivors and care givers with alternative modalities to assist with expression and coping.  Such programs would serve to companion stroke survivors through the hospital experience and give hope those who grapple with the devastating effects of stroke.  The specific aim of this project would be to incorporate stroke support and crisis intervention into the hospital experience and assist patients and family members as they navigate through the hospital course and rehabilitation journey.  This program would companion stroke survivors and their families during the hospital experience and bridge the gap between the hospital experience and transitioning to the outside world.  This intervention is meant to help decrease anxiety and assist the stroke survivor and significant others in transitioning as they create a new way of being in the world, a “new normal”.  In order to accomplish these aims, a complementary Nurse Practitioner employed at the hospital will consult and recommend modalities which would be most beneficial to the patients and families i.e: imagery, reflexology, massage therapy, music therapy, and pet therapy.  Each of these alternative therapies will be offered and implemented to patients and families admitted to the Neuroscience Unit with a diagnosis of Ischemic of hemorrhagic stroke.

In August of 2008 I was then promoted to transfer to the Krasnoff Quality Management Institute, a division of the North Shore-LIJ Health System where I contribute to the management of statistical analysis of healthcare data, hypothesis development, database analysis, and analytical reporting. In addition, I contribute to multi-disciplinary clinical and research teams, and education of clinical and non clinical staff.  I consult with the geriatric fellows of North Shore LIJ Health System to help them formulate and analyze their research projects for various journals, conferences and presentations.  I recently attended and presented my research at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement National Conferences in Nashville, TN. 

Joan Cox

Joan joined Right Management in 2006 as a Senior Consultant, working with senior executives who are in job transition. In this role she consults with executives who are looking for new employment opportunities as a result of restructuring and downsizing initiatives. Joan specializes in the financial service industry, where she was a senior executive at Citicorp for over 25 years.

Prior to going to Right Management, Joan worked as program coordinator for the Garden City Senior Project. In this capacity, she designed and implemented a new business proposition to facilitate “aging in place,” enabling seniors to remain in their homes, safely and productively, for as long as possible.

Joan currently serves as Vice Chair of a major teaching hospital where she also chairs the Quality and Risk Management Committees.

Joan holds a BA in Latin and Greek from Mount Holyoke College, an MBA in Banking from Adelphi College, a Certificate from the Graduate School of Consumer Banking at the University of Virginia in addition to a Certificate in Gerontology from Hofstra University in 2004 where she was a Provost Scholar. She is also a member of the Academy of Women Achievers.

Turquessa Francis
May 2005 graduate

In February 2006, Turquessa started an assistant professor position at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Old Westbury. She teaches in the Department of Occupational Therapy at NYIT. She recently finished teaching an administration class, in addition to teaching a gerontology class within the occupational therapy program. For the fall, she will be teaching Physical Disabilities and Pediatrics. Turquessa says that "the classes I took in the Gerontology program at Hofstra (Grant Writing, Elder Abuse, Aging and Public Policy, Marketing, etc.) really helped me with first contending for this job, in addition to teaching many of the classes.