Department of Surgery Launches UCSF Center for Surgery in Older Adults

The Department of Surgery has launched a new program, the UCSF Center for Surgery in Older Adults (CSOA). Led by Emily Finlayson, M.D., M.S., an Associate Professor of Surgery and Health Policy, the program seeks to discover and implement patient-centered best practices in geriatric surgery that will help older patients achieve their treatment goals and maintain independence and vitality. The UCSF Center for Surgery in Older Adults Research Collaborative includes investigators from a broad range of disciplines – surgery, anesthesia, rehabilitation services, geriatrics, palliative care, nursing, education, and health policy—who have expertise in quantitative research, qualitative research, and implementation science. CSOA's overarching goal is to discover best practices in geriatric surgery through patient-centered outcomes assessment, comparative effectiveness analyses, and interventional trials. In addition, the program identifies and explores barriers to delivery of optimal care with the aim to improve implementation of interdisciplinary patient-centered surgical care for older adults.