Department of Psychiatry

Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship

Clinical Sites

Training in the University of Colorado Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship training program occurs in the following settings as described below.  Links to each facility are provided.

The Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The Denver VAMC is a tertiary care medical center closely affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  It serves older veterans with psychiatric and neurodegenerative illness in both inpatient and outpatient settings.  The Denver VAMC has a 30 bed inpatient psychiatric unit, of which 6 beds are dedicated for geriatric patients.  The Denver VAMC Nursing Home Care Unit has approximately 60 long and intermediate term care patients.  The fellows will additionally participate in an outpatient geriatric psychiatry clinic, telepsychiatry clinic, and a memory evaluation clinic at the VAMC.  In addition to geriatric psychiatrists, the medical center employs geriatricians, behavioral neurologists, and neuropsychologists.

Denver Health Medical Center

Denver Health is a 500 bed general medical facility serving the entire Denver metropolitan area.  It is located 3.5 miles from the primary site of training.  Approx ¼ of the patients seen are diagnosed with schizophrenia, ¼ with bipolar disorder, ¼ with major depression, and ¼ with dementia.  Approximately 1/3 of the patients have an alcohol or drug dependence diagnosis.  On average, ½ of patients are men and ½ are women.  Patients over the age of 60 admitted to the psychiatry service are assigned to the care of a full time geriatric psychiatrist.  Geriatric psychiatry consultation is also provided to the other inpatient units and emergency department of the hospital.  In addition to a full time geriatric psychiatrist, a full time neuropsychologist is available to provide neuropsychological testing. 

Rowan Community Nursing Home

Rowan community is a 40 bed long term skilled nursing facility.  It has been in continuous service since 1985 and is considered to be one of the finest such facilities in the Denver metropolitan area.  Fellows will spend one afternoon per week seeing patients at this community nursing home.  Supervision for this activity will be provided by fellowship faculty and access to complete patient medical records will be provided via wireless computer linkup.

.