INDIANAPOLIS -- Alexia M. Torke, M.D., M.S., has been named a 2008 Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholar.
One of only four recipients honored nationwide, Dr. Torke was selected for the prestigious two-year award by a committee of nationally prominent academic physicians. As a Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholar, she receives a two-year, $200,000 award which she will use to conduct a large study of surrogate decision making for hospitalized older adults.
Dr. Torke is an assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a research scientist with the Regenstrief Institute and the IU Center for Aging Research.
Sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation, New York, NY, in collaboration with the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging, the research scholars program supports physician-scientists transitioning from a junior faculty to an independent researcher position who are committed to improving the health care of older adults.
Dr. Torke's research focuses on ethical aspects of medical decision making for older adults, including surrogate decision making for patients with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. Her long term goal is to improve the process and outcomes of decision making for older adults who cannot make their own medical decisions.
Dr. Torke directs the fellowship at the Charles Warren Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics which coordinates service, research, and educational efforts in clinical ethics for Clarian Health Partners, Indiana's largest and most comprehensive health system, and one of the largest health organizations in the United States. An internist, she sees patients at the IU Center for Senior Health.
Note to editors: A photo of Dr. Torke is available upon request.