New business offers geriatric health education programs

A Clarks Summit-based business may become the region's leading source of communitybased health education programs for geriatric issues.

GeriScan, which was recently established by Susan Scanland, is believed to be the only consulting firm of its kind in the state that focus on promoting health

The firm provides consulting and program development on geriatric trends to health care systems, hospitals, physician groups, nursing homes and home care agencies. GeriScan offers businesses pre-retirement health seminars and elder care education programs for employees, and offers community based health education programs for community, professional and senior groups.

Scanland, who is president of GeriScan, is a geriatric nurse practitioner with a master's degree in adult primary health care. She served as director of geriatrics for three years at the Wyoming Valley Family Practice Residency, where she also educated physicians in clinical geriatrics for the past 12 years.

In addition, she has lectured and published nationally and internationally the past 15 years on topics of medical education and geriatric care.

"The impact of managed care, on a national and regional basis, has been dramatic," says Scanland. "Reimbursement changes, decreases in funding for medical education and employee unionization are issues that health care systems are dealing with. The costs of providing health care are rapidly increasing, largely due to the rapid growth in the elderly population, who utilize a large percentage of health resources."

Scanland notes that she sees a need in the region for increased services directly targeting senior citizens.

She notes that in northeastern Pennsylvania, the percentage of elderly doubles the national average, and the boroughs and cities reveal a senior population that the rest of the country will not see until 2050.

"It is essential that staff members for health care systems, hospitals, physician groups, nursing homes and home care agencies become familiar with trends in geriatric care," says Scanland. "It's an obligation of the health care providers remain abreast of the latest geriatric research."