Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment
Niharika N. Suchak, MD, Chair
Dr. Suchak is a clinician-educator and Associate Professor in the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee. She is ABIM Board Certified in Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She has extensive clinical and leadership experience in a multitude of health care environments including outpatient, hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation facility, hospice, assisted living, and house calls. She has previously organized geriatrics consultation programs with sub-specialties such as oncology, surgery, orthopedics, and gynecology.
She is the immediate past President of the Florida Geriatrics Society and serves as co-Chair for the American Geriatric Society (AGS)International Activities Special Interest Group. She regularly serves as the international coordinator and member of the organizing committee for the International Congress on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board Exam Committee.
She has presented regionally, nationally, and internationally on various geriatric medicine and medical education topics. In 2012, Dr. Suchak received the Clinician of the Year Award by the AGS.
Dr. Suchak has a strong interest in medical education, and interprofessional education is a major focus area for her. Her current teaching activities involve medical students, physician assistant students, medical residents, and students from other health professions. Previously, she has also taught geriatric medicine fellows. She contributes to curriculum development at the medical school as the Year 1 Clinical Skills Director, and through teaching activities that include students from all four years of medical school. She is interested in the use of simulation as a tool for medical education and is involved in creating and conducting simulation-based learning activities and assessing learning outcomes.
Dr. Suchak received her bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS)degree from the University of Poona’s Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India. She earned her master’s degree in clinical epidemiology at the School of Hygiene and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and completed her internal medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship at Baltimore’s Union Memorial Hospital.
As of October 2023, Dr. Suchak reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Suchak serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The Alzheimer’s Project, board member, without compensation
- The American Geriatrics Society, International Activities Special Interest Group, co-chair, without compensation
- The Florida Geriatrics Society, Education Committee, chair, without compensation
- The Florida Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, Education Committee, member, without compensation
Ecler Jaqua, MD, MBA, FAAFP, AGSF, FACLM, DipABOM, AAHIVS
Dr. Jaqua is an Associate Professor of Family and Geriatric Medicine and the Associate Program Director of the Loma Linda University Family Medicine Residency. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, and holds certifications in Lifestyle Medicine and Obesity Medicine. She is a certified HIV Specialist™ by the American Academy of HIV Medicine.
Dr. Jaqua completed her family medicine residency at Loma Linda University and her geriatric medicine fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Jaqua also completed a Master of Business Administration with a track in strategic leadership and received her Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist certificate.
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As of August 2023, Dr. Jaqua reported no ongoing external relationships
Catherine Johnston, MD
Dr. Johnston has been with The University of Arizona and Banner University Medical Center since February of 2017. She is a professor of medicine in the Division of General Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care. She spends the majority of her time with the inpatient palliative care service, and also works with the Arizona Center on Aging and the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. From 2011-2016, She was the Director of Palliative Care at PeaceHealth Medical System serving hospitals in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, and also served as Professor at the University of Washington. Most of Dr. Johnston's career was spent at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where she served as the Chief for Geriatrics Education and Director of the Geriatric Fellowship Program. She is the author of numerous book chapters and journal articles, and has spoken extensively on numerous geriatrics and palliative care topics. She is the past Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatrics Exam Writing Committee.
She received her education and training from University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Berkeley, UCSF, University of California Davis and Stanford University.
As of June 2023 Dr. Johnston reported the following ongoing external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for the following companies, with compensation as listed:
- McGraw Hill, receiving compensation for authorship
- Wiley, receiving compensation for authorship
Dr. Johnston serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Psychedelics Interest Group, chair-elect; Associate Editor, without compensation
- The American College of Physicians, Program Committee, member, without compensation
Grant funding for salary support from the following health care-related nonprofit organizations:
- The RiverStyx Foundation
Paul Kirwin, MD
Dr. Kirwin is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Program Director for the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship at Yale University Hospital. Dr. Kirwin is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Kirwin is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Geriatric Medicine Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment Approval Committee.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and his medical degree from Rochester University.
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As of April 2024, Dr. Kirwin reported no ongoing external relationships:
Dr. Kirwin serves in significant roles with the following health care-related organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, past president, without compensation
- The American Psychiatric Association, Geriatric Psychiatry Committee, member, without compensation
- Americares, mental health consultant, without compensation
- Partners in Health, geriatric global medical advisor, without compensation
Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam
Helen L. Chen, MD, Chair
Dr. Chen is the Chief Medical Officer at Hebrew SeniorLife, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated senior health care organization in Boston, Massachusetts, where she serves as the Senior Clinical Leader and oversees the organization's Department of Medicine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Previously, Dr. Chen served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Center for Elders' Independence, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elders (PACE) in Oakland, California. Prior to that, she was a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, where she also served as the Geriatrics and Extended Care Service Line Director for the San Francisco VA Medical Center and Director of the Northern California Geriatric Education Center. She is currently a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Exam Committee and the National Quality Forum Standing Committee on Readmissions and Admissions.
Dr. Chen is a graduate of the California Healthcare Foundation Leadership Program and received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Brown University. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in clinical geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.
As of September 2023, Dr. Chen reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Chen serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, committee member, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses
- Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization, board member; Population Health Advisory Committee member, receiving honoraria
Danelle O. Cayea, MD
Dr. Cayea, who is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is the Associate Vice Chair for Education for the Department of Medicine and Director of the Daniel and Jeannette Hendin Schapiro Geriatrics Medical Education Center. She is a clinician educator who focuses on medical student education and has interests in teaching and evaluating communication skills. Dr. Cayea serves as the Director of Core Faculty in several courses at the School of Medicine. She participates in training faculty in teaching skills on a local and national level.
Dr. Cayea is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board Exam Committee. She previously served as a member of the ABIM Geriatric Medicine Self-Assessment Committee.
After earning her medical degree at the University of Rochester, Dr. Cayea completed internal medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
As of August 2023, Dr. Cayea reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Cayea serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Academy on Communication in Healthcare, teaching communication skills courses and leading “train-the-trainer” courses, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses and honoraria
- Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine, Program Planning Committee, without compensation
Ariel Cole, MD
Dr. Cole is the Director of the Geriatric Residency Program and Assistant Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at AdventHealth Orlando. In her role Dr. Cole supervises medical students, residents, and geriatric fellows in the care of elderly patients in the hospital, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and home visits. She oversees a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Clinic within the Centre for Aging and Wellness where elder patients and their caregivers meet with an interdisciplinary team to evaluate their medical, functional, and psychosocial status. Dr. Cole is the Orlando campus Clerkship Director for Geriatrics at the Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine.
Dr. Cole is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Geriatrics Society, and the American Medical Directors Association. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine and is a Certified Medical Director. Dr. Cole is also a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board Exam Committee.
Dr. Cole received her medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa and completed her residency and fellowship training at Florida Hospital.
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As of July 2023, Dr. Cole reported the following external relationships:
Teaching in continuing medical education with funding from the following companies, with compensation for travel expenses and honoraria:
- Med Learning Group
Elizabeth N. Eckstrom, MD, MPH
Dr. Eckstrom, who is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, is Professor and Section Chief of Geriatrics in the Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She leads the geriatrics practice within the OHSU Internal Medicine Clinic, championing geriatric best practices in the vibrant combined Division, and teaches students, residents and geriatric fellows.
Dr. Eckstrom is part of the OHSU Interprofessional Initiative, developing evaluation tools and leading interprofessional faculty development. Her research focuses on promoting a healthy lifestyle in older adults, with an emphasis on tai chi for falls prevention. She also conducts studies to enhance interprofessional teamwork in falls prevention and has developed and tested electronic health record tools to facilitate uptake of evidence-based practices. She co-directs OHSU’s Healthy Aging Alliance.
Previously a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Self-Assessment Committee, Dr. Eckstrom is now a member of the ABIM Geriatric Medicine Board Exam Committee.
Dr. Eckstrom earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and her master of public health degree from the University of Washington. She completed residency training and a geriatric medicine fellowship at OHSU.
As of August 2023, Dr. Eckstrom reported the following ongoing external relationship:
Dr. Eckstrom serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Geriatrics Society, Research Committee, without compensation
Thomas Michels, MD, MPH
Dr. Michels provides geriatric outpatient care at Olympic Medical Physicians Primary Care Clinic in Sequim, Washington. He previously spent nearly 30 years in family medicine residency education. Dr. Michels received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He completed residency training in family medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, in 1982, and was board certified in family medicine in 1982 and geriatrics in 1994. He completed a faculty development fellowship at Madigan Army Medical Center in 1992, which included a Master of Public Health at the University of Washington School of Public Health.
As of July 2023, Dr. Michels reported no ongoing external relationships.