Perioperative Care of the Older Adult
- Continuing Education
Equip clinicians with essential skills in geriatric surgical care by focusing on geriatric syndromes, the 4Ms framework, and the complex needs of older adults. Learn to prevent common hospital-related harms and apply evidence-based approaches that improve outcomes for older surgical and trauma patients.
- Live Online
This course is taught online in real time.
Additionally, all sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for online viewing for 60 days after the end of the course.
This is the standard price, for a full list of profession pricing see below.
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Certificate
Earn up to:
9.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™
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Two Days
Please view the Schedule for a full description of the program.
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Overview
In the United States, almost 40% of all inpatient procedures are performed on patients aged 65 and older. At Mass General Brigham trauma centers, over 50% of injured patients are older adults, the majority of whom are frail. To prepare our health care system to care for the growing number of older adults who have increasing medical and psychosocial complexity and improved standards for geriatric surgical care being set by national stakeholders including CMS and the American College of Surgeons, front line clinicians including Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), surgical trainees, nurses, and surgical attendings urgently need more training in geriatric syndromes and the 4 pillars of Age-Friendly Health Systems (Medication, Mobility, what Matters, and Mentation) as well as multi-complexity.
This training will address the needs of geriatric patients and instruct on how to avoid hazards of hospitalization such as delirium, falls, infections, loss of function, and caregiver strain. These issues are particularly relevant in surgery and trauma where mortality, complications, and other adverse outcomes are consistently higher for older patients than their younger counterparts. Evidence suggests that geriatric-focused clinical pathways can reduce delirium, ICU stays, length of stay, and readmissions in older surgical patients. Clinicians will benefit from in-depth training in geriatric care to enable the implementation of structures and processes to improve outcomes.
Learning Objectives
- Apply the 4 Ms (Medication, Mobility, what Matters, and Mentation) of the Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative to older surgical patients.
- Recognize the components of effective communication with older patients, asking what matters most, and incorporate these priorities into surgical planning.
- Describe the associations between geriatric syndromes such as frailty, dementia, and adverse postoperative outcomes.
- List potentially inappropriate medications for older surgical patients and strategies to optimize medications.
- Describe approaches for a safe and effective care transition for older patients, caregivers, and families.
- Identify strategies to mitigate risks for delirium and falls among older surgical patients.
Developed and Offered By:
Continuing Education courses are developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals and accredited by Harvard Medical School. This course is offered by Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Who Should Participate
Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Primary Care Physicians, and Specialty Physicians
Schedule
All agenda sessions are in Eastern Time.
Thursday, November 12, 2026
Introduction to Day 2: Navigating Multicomplexity in Older Surgical Patients
10:00-10:15 am
Epidemiology and Economics of Geriatric Surgical Care
10:15-11:00 am
Mentation: Preventing and Addressing Delirium
11:00-11:45 am
Mobility: Rehab, Prehab, and Falls: Optimizing Mobility Throughout the Surgical Continuum
11:45 am-12:30 pm
Lunch
12:30-1:15 pm
What Matters Most: Addressing Goals and Priorities for Surgical Patients
1:15-2:30 pm
Case-based Workshop: Pre-operative Evaluation and Pre-habilitation
2:30-3:00 pm
Leveraging Technology for Models of Care
3:00-3:45 pm
Wrap Up Day 1
3:45-4:00 pm
Friday, November 13, 2026
Intro to Day 2
9:30-9:45 am
Fireside Chat: From Pre-Op to Discharge
9:45-10:50 am
Medications: Polypharmacy and Deprescribing for Surgical Patients
10:50 am-12:00 pm
Lunch
12:00-12:30 pm
Multicomplexity: Hot Topics & Transitions of Care
12:30-1:15 pm
Anesthesia and Pain Management
1:15-1:50 pm
Course Wrap Up
1:50-2:00 pm
Faculty
Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.
Course Directors
Zara Cooper
MD, MS | Course Director
- Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
- Michele and Howard J. Kessler Distinguished Chair of Surgery and Public Health
- Executive Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
- Kessler Director, Center for Surgery and Public Health
- Director, Center for Geriatric Surgery, Mass General Brigham
Rachelle Bernacki
MD, MS | Course Director
- Director of Care Transformation and Postoperative Services, Center for Geriatric Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Director of Quality Initiatives, Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
- Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Esteban Franco Garcia
MD, AGSF | Course Director
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Director, Geriatric Medicine Inpatient Service, Massachusetts General Hospital
Andrea Wershof Schwartz
MD, MPH | Course Director
- Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Geriatrician, Division of Aging, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Director, New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System
Matthew Allen, MD
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Mass General Brigham
Instructor in Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Amy Bulger, MPH, RN, GERO-BC, CPHQ
Director of Geriatrics Operations, Center for Geriatric Surgery and Department of Nursing, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Director of Nursing Strategy and Implementation, Mass General Brigham West Health Accelerator
Christy Cauley, MD, MPH
Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital
Director of Quality Mass General Brigham Colorectal Surgery
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Sevdenur Cizginer Konuk, MD, MPH, AGSF
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Geriatrician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Laura Frain, MD, MPH
Geriatrician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Director of Outpatient Geriatrics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Medical Director of MGB PHSO Mind and Memory Care and PHSO GRACE Program
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Susan Hanlon, MBA
Healthcare Senior Director, Huron Consulting Group
Nancy Latham, PhD, PT
Clinical Research Director, Research Division of Men’s Health, Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Lecturer in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Julia Loewenthal, MD
Geriatrician, Lutanen Health and BWH Division of Aging
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Part-Time, Harvard Medical School
Lynne O'Mara, MBA, PA-C
Director of Process Optimization and Enablement, Strategy and New Program Development
MGB Population Health Services Organization (PHSO), Mass General Brigham
E-Care Clinical Director, West Health Accelerator at MGB
Senior Administrator of Inpatient Operations, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Charles 'Chuck' Pu, MD
Former Senior Medical Director, Office of Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS), MassHealth and For Health Consulting, UMass Chan Medical School
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Distinguished Physician, Division of Palliative Care & Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mass General Brigham
Emily B. Rivet, MD, MBA
Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hospice and Palliative Care
Emily Stephens, BS
Administrative and Fellowship Coordinator, Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Alexander B. Stone, MD
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
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Course Fees
Registration Details
You may register through our secure online environment and will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your payment. Electronic syllabus and access to select recordings for 60 days after the course are included.
At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration.
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 9.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This activity is approved for 9.25 contact hours, of which 3.50 is eligible for pharmacology credit.
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
This activity meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for 8.25 credits of Risk Management Study. Please check your individual state licensing board requirements before claiming these credits.
- 3.50 credits of Opioid Education and Pain Management Training
The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found on the Union of European Medical Specialists website.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.