On Medical Mondays,

hear the story of Mary Jean, a retired nurse,

and discover how geriatric specialist

helped her resume the act of life she loves.

The first time I was in,

I had a torn hamstring, and as a result of that,

I developed a thrombosis in my left leg.

Mary Jean has had a series of problems

that have led her to be in the hospital,

led her to the emergency room,

and it's been complicated.

It's not been a simple fix for all of these problems.

Fortunately, her doctor is a geriatrician

who understands the complexity

of her multiple medical conditions.

A geriatrician is a doctor who's also trained

as a specialist in taking care of older people,

the diseases they have, the conditions they have

and the drugs they take.

So when Mary Jean had to be admitted

to the hospital,

her doctor recommended a groundbreaking program

at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

We wanted to create a way to provide the advantages

of geriatric approach to all older people

throughout a hospital, and in order to do that,

we created the Acute Care and Transition Program

at Magee-Womens Hospital.

The Acute Care and Transitions Program

can yield many benefits for seniors,

including shorter hospital stays,

with fewer complications and readmissions.

We're able to reduce people's medication list

often by as much as 75 or 80%,

and ironically, they get better, not worse,

with the reduction.

So for each patient, we like to think,

"What are the goals for this person?"

We like to discuss it with the patient, with their family.

In her case, she can easily tell me

what her goals are herself,

and that's what I use to guide my care.

You need an advocate, you need somebody there.

I have it in the people that are taking care of me.

This program really helps a person like Mary Jean get back

to where she's at home, she's independent,

she's doing the things she wants to do.

As long as I have two feet on the ground,

I want to be able to live

a full, rich life.

For more information on specialized care

for seniors, visit UPMC's HealthBeat blog

at UPMC.com/HealthBeat.