OHSU

Elizabeth Eckstrom, M.D., M.P.H.

Elizabeth Eckstrom, M.D., M.P.H
Associate Professor and Director of Geratrics
Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics

Education and Training

Medical Degree:
Doctor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Master's Degree:
Master's in Public Health, University of Washington-Seattle

Internship:
Internal Medicine, MacNeal Hospital/Rush-Pres-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Residency:
Internal Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland

Fellowship:
General Internal Medicine, VA Medical Center/Oregon Health Sciences University
Geratric Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University

Biography

I am Associate Professor and Director of Geriatrics at OHSU, leading a primary care and consultative Geriatrics practice of approximately 600 older adults; and Principle Investigator for the Oregon Geriatrics Education Center, a HRSA-funded Center to promote inter-professional, evidence based practice improvement in community and rural settings. My research interests include tai chi for falls prevention, primary care provider faculty development in geriatrics, and ambulatory practice reform for general internal medicine and geriatrics. I am also co-director of OHSU's Healthy Aging Alliance.

Board Certification

Internal Medicine, Geriatrics

Research Interests

My research interests include tai chi for falls prevention, primary care provider faculty development in geriatrics, and ambulatory practice reform for general internal medicine and geriatrics. 

Recent Research Projects

  • Tai Chi and Parkinson's Disease
    The goal of this project is to determine if tai chi can improve postural stability in patients with Parkinson's disease
  • Evidence-based Practice Center Evidence Reviews
    Screening and Treatment of Dementia
    Interventions to Prevent Functional Decline in Older Adults
  • Healthy Aging Alliance
    The OHSU Healthy Aging Alliance seeks to promote healthy aging through partnerships, discovery, education, and outreach. We engage in team-based translational research to truly change the aging trajectory toward health and quality of life.
  • Setting a Geriatrics Research Agenda for SGIM
    The goal of this project is build a geriatric research agenda for researchers in SGIM
  • Predicting mortality in older adults with kidney disease: a pragmatic risk score
    (mentor to Dr. Jessica Weiss) The goal of this grant is to develop a risk score for predicting mortality in older adults with kidney disease
  • Bone Health and Bone Turnover on Older SSRI Users
    (mentor to Dr. Betsy Haney) The goal of this project is to study the impact of SSRIs on bone health in older adults

Selected Research Publications

  1. Li, F, Harmer, P, Fitzgerald, K, Eckstrom, E, Stock, R, Galver, J, Maddalozzo, G, Batya, SS, Tai Chi Enhances Postural Stability in Parkinson's Disease Patients, NEJM, 2012;366:511-9.
  2. Li, F., Harmer, P., Fisher, K John, McAuley, E., Chaumeton, N. Eckstrom, E., & Wilson, N. L. Tai Chi and Fall Reductions in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 2005; 60A(2):187-194.
  3. Lin, JS, Whitlock, EP, Eckstrom, E, Fu, R, Perdue, LP, Beil, TL, Leipzig, RM, Challenges in Synthesizing and Interpreting the Evidence from a Systematic Review of Multifactorial Interventions to Prevent Functional Decline in Older Adults, Article first published online: 16 OCT 2012 | DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04214.x.
  4. Eckstrom, E, Feeny, DH, Walter, LC, Perdue, LA, Whitlock, EP, Individualizing Cancer Screening in Older Adults: A Narrative Review and Framework for Future Research, JGIM, 2013: 28 (2):292-298; doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2227-x.
  5. Feeny, D, Huguet, N, McFarland, BH, Kaplan, MS, Orpana, H, Eckstrom, E, Hearing, Mobility, and Pain Predict Mortality: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study, J Clinical Epidemiol, 2012:65:764-777.

Clinical Interests

My clinical interests focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle in older adults and managing illness and geriatric syndromes using a person-centered, team directed approach. My goal is to partner with my patients to help optimize quality of life and meet their life goals.

Patient Care Locations

Physicians Pavilion

Selected Clinical Publications

  1. Cayea, D, Eckstrom, E, Christmas, C, Update in Geriatric Medicine, JGIM, 2012: 27(3):371-5.
  2. Eckstrom, E, "Getting your staff on Board," in Geriatric Care by Design: A Clinician's Handbook to Meet the Needs of Older Adults through Environmental and Practice Redesign . Chicago, Ill:  American Medical Association; 2011.
  3. Day, HD, Eckstrom, E, Sullivan, GM, Update in Geriatric Medicine, JGIM 2009; 24 (3): 421-6.
  4. Singer, C, Luxenberg, J, Eckstrom, E. "Older Patients," in Behavioral Medicine: A Guide for Clinical Practice Third Edition. New York: McGraw Hill; 2008: 90-99.

Educational Activities

My teaching focus is in interprofessional education and geriatrics teaching for all health professions.

Education Grants

Oregon Geriatric Education Center-The goal of this program is to enhance geriatrics training for medical, nursing, pharmacy, social, and other professionals throughout the state of Oregon via evidence based practice programs. Currently, we are implementing and evaluating an interprofessional falls prevention program across the State of Oregon.  

Geriatrics for Specialists Initiative-The goal of this project is to enhance geriatric competencies for residents in the Anesthesia Residency Program at OHSU

The Rural Older Adult Memory Study-The goal of this project is to disseminate the Assessing Care Of Vulnerable Elders measures for dementia to rural clinicians

Selected Education and Practice Reform Publications

  1. Boise, L, Eckstrom, E, Fagnan, L, King, A, Gouboud, M, Buckley DI, Morris, C, The Rural Older Adult Memory Study (ROAM): A Practice-Based Intervention to Improve Dementia Screening and Diagnosis, JABFM 2010; 23:486-498.
  2. Eckstrom, E, Desai, SS, Hunter, AJ, Allen, E, Tanner, CE, Lucas, LM, Joseph, CL, Ririe, MR, Doak, MN, Humphrey, LL, Bowen, JL, Aiming to Improve Care of  Older Adults: An Innovative Faculty Development Workshop, JGIM 2008; 23 (7): 1053-6.
  3. Williams, BC, Weber, V, Babbott, SF, Kirk, LM, Heflin, MT, O'Toole, E, Schapira, MM,
  4. Eckstrom, E, Tulsky, A, Wolf, AM, Landefeld, S, Faculty Development for the 21st Century: Lessons from the SGIM-Hartford Collaborative Centers for the Care of Older Adults, JAGS 2007; 55:941-947. 
  5. Eckstrom, E, Homer, L, Bowen, JL, Measuring outcomes of a One-Minute Preceptor Faculty Development Workshop, JGIM 2006; 21 (5): 410-414.
  6. Tanner, CE, Eckstrom, E, Desai, SS, Joseph, CL, Ririe, MR, Bowen, JL, Uncovering Frustrations: A Qualitative Needs Assessment of Academic General Internists as Geriatric Care Providers and Teachers, JGIM 2006; 21 (1): 51-55. 
  7. Bowen, JL, Eckstrom, E, Muller, M, Haney, E, Enhancing the Effectiveness of One-Minute Preceptor Faculty Development Workshops, Teaching and Learning in Medicine 2006; 18 (1): 35-41. 
  8. Bowen, JL, Salerno, SM, Chamberlain, J, Eckstrom, E, Chen, HL, Brandenberg, S, Changing Habits of Practice. Transforming Internal Medicine Residency Education in Ambulatory Settings, JGIM 2005; 20 (12): 1181-7. 
  9. Braddock, C, Eckstrom, E, Haidet, P, The "New Revolution" In Medical Education: Fostering Professionalism And Patient-Centered Communication In The Contemporary Environment, JGIM, 2004; 19 (5p2):610-611. 
  10. Eckstrom, E, Hickam, DH, Lessler, DS, Buchner, DM, Changing Physician Practice of Physical Activity Counseling, JGIM, 1999;14:376-78.

Back to OHSU GIM Faculty Listing