May 2013

Dr. Moak gave the keynote address at a statewide conference titled “Chronic Pain, Older Adults and Mental Health.   On May 15, 2013, the Massachusetts Association of Older Americans, in partnership with Elder Services of Worcester Area, Inc., the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, and the Arthritis Foundation of New England Region, presented an all-day conference at the College of the Holy Cross.   Dr. was the keynote speaker, and gave a lecture titled “Mental Health Issues for the Geriatric Patient With Chronic pain”.

April 2013

Cheryl Kemp, NP Gave a Talk on Lewy Body Dementia.   Ms. Kemp has treated many patients of the Moak Center who suffer with Lewy Body Dementia, a particularly difficult form of late-life dementia.   She addressed members of the Lewy Body Support Group about various, up-to-date approaches to treatment.

March 2013

Deborah Lebeaux, LICSW Gave a Lecture at the Milford VNA.   Ms. Lebeaux spoke to direct caregivers of different levels, and working in different elder care settings.   Her talk was on the difficult challenge of working with patients with borderline personality disorder.

Dr. Moak presented a talk at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.   The Annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry took place this year in Los Angeles, CA, from March 14 through March 18. Dr. Moak attended the meeting and gave a talk at a symposium titled “Evolving Roles for Geriatric Mental Health Providers in the 21st Century Health Care System”.  Dr. Moak’s talk was titled ” Provision of Collaborative Services – How can Healthcare Organizations Incentivize Geriatric Mental Health Practitioners to Provide the Expertise They Need?”.    This talk dealt with some of the impact on geriatric psychiatry that provisions of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) are having on the organization of healthcare services for older adults.

January 2013

As of January 2013, the Moak Center began accepting payments by credit card.   We can accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.   We added this service for the convenience of our patients and members of their families, who often requested to pay deductibles and co-payments this way.  We can accept payment by credit card in person, in the office, or over the phone.

October 2012

The Moak Center for Healthy Aging reaching an important milestone in adopting electronic health records by attesting to satisfying the stage I meaningful use requirements in the Medicare Program.   This accomplishment enables patients or their family members to receive e-mail reminders about upcoming appointments, and to login to verify medications, diagnoses, and allergies.   Beginning in 2013, the Moak Center will begin working toward stage II goals.

June 2012

The Moak Center for Healthy Aging initiated its conversion from paper medical records to an electronic health record.  Patients initially will notice use of computers in the office gradually replacing the familiar paper charts.  Over the coming months, we hope to be able to provide our patients online, secure access to their electronic health information.  We also will begin providing electronic appointment reminders.

May 2012

Dr. Moak delivered the Keynote Address at the annual conference of the Massachusetts Aging and Mental Health Coalition.  This conference of geriatric mental health professionals and advocates from all over Massachusetts was held May 7 at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester.  Dr. Moak’s address, titled “Minding the Old Mind:  Why We All Need to Know More About Mental Health and Aging” dealt with the consequences for older adults of the widespread ignorance of geriatric psychiatry by healthcare professionals and the public.

March 2012:

Cheryl Kemp attended the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.   The 25th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) was held this year in Washington, D.C., March 16-19.  This meeting brings together geriatric psychiatrists and other professionals from all over the world to learn the latest research in the areas of working of geriatric mental health and aging.  As a new member of  AAGP, Ms. Kemp attended the meeting for the first time, and found it to be “an amazing experience”.

On March 28th, Dr. Moak gave a talk at UMass Medical School as part of an evening program, open to the public, on Managing the Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Dr. Moak discussed the value of available medications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.  A blurb on the program is posted on the UMass website.  From there, interested readers can link to an article covering the program that appeared in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

August 2011:  The Journal “Aging & Social Policy” Published an Article by Dr. Moak

Dr. Moak’s article, “Treatment of Late-Life Mental Disorders in Primary Care:  We Can Do a Better Job” was published in the July-September issue of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy.  The article discusses challenges primary care doctors face in treating the mental health problems of their older patients and discusses the need for the healthcare system to be more prepared for the needs of the growing numbers of older Americans.  This issue of the journal was dedicated to elder mental health.

July 2011:  Cynthia Greywolf, APRN, BC Joins the Moak Center

The Moak Center for Healthy Aging would like to welcome Cynthia Greywolf, APRN, BC to the staff.   Ms. Greywolf is a geriatric psychiatry clinical nurse specialist.  She is the second advanced practice registered nurse (nurse practitioner) to join the Moak Center team.   In addition to her part-time role at the Moak Center, Ms. Greywolf works in the Memory Disorders Clinic at McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, and she provides mental health consultation in numerous Massachusetts nursing homes.

July 2011:  Moak Center Affiliates with UMASS Medical School:

The Moak Center for Healthy Aging became an affiliated teaching site for the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  Beginning in July 2011, psychiatry residents and geriatric medicine fellows started coming to the Moak Center for training in geriatric psychiatry.  Patients and their family members may encounter these doctors-in-training during their appointments with Dr. Moak.  The Moak Center is trying to do its part to improve future doctors’ ability to help older patients with mental health problems.  We hope our patients will feel the same way.  However, our patients come first.   There is no requirement to be seen by a doctor-in-training.  Patients who are uncomfortable seeing doctors-in-training need only let us know.

May, 2011:  Dr. Moak Re-Certifies in Geriatric Psychiatry

The Moak Center for Healthy Aging is proud to announce that Dr. Moak was re-certified in geriatric psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  Dr. Moak is fellowship-trained in geriatric psychiatry, and has been certified in geriatric psychiatry by the ABPN since 1991.  His current re-certification runs from 2011 through 2021.

March, 2011:  Dr. Moak Receives AAGP Clinician of the Year Award

On March 18, 2011, the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry awarded Dr. Moak Clinician of the Year.  The award was made during AAGP’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas

Dr. Moak made the following comment, which AAGP published in a press release, during the meeting:  “Practicing geriatric psychiatry is extremely gratifying, but it’s tough for geriatric practices to survive in today’s healthcare economic climate,” Dr. Moak commented. “I’m honored to be recognized by AAGP for my efforts to provide the best possible psychiatric treatment to geriatric patients.”

January, 2011:  Moak Center Moves to New Location

On January 3, 2011, the Moak Center moved to a new location at 57 East Main Street, still in Westborough, MA. The new location is essentially around the corner from the old location at 18 Lyman Street.  After 6 years there, we simply outgrew the old space.

Thanks to Mark’s Movers, of Westborough, and our terrific, hard-working staff, the move went smoothly, and we had our first patient visits by the end of the week.  We appreciate the patience of those patients and family members who endured erratic heat during the cold days of that move-in week.

The new office offers more space for our patients and their family members.  We now have more consultation rooms, which allows us to see patients simultaneously, and to consult collaboratively.  This will allow us to expand our team approach to geriatric care, and to add teaching and training activities for healthcare trainees who want to learn about geriatrics.