Heidi Kay White, MD

Dr. White's clinical expertise involves the care of older adults, especially care transitions, long-term care, and post-acute care.  She services as the Vice-Chief of Clinical Affairs in the Geriatrics Division At Duke University.  She has worked with peer faculty to develop clinical programs including Peri-operative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH) and Health Optimization Program for Elders (HOPE) which is a transitional care program from the hospital to skilled nursing facilities.  She serves on the Duke Connected Care Operating Committee, a physician-lead accountable care organizarion.  She is the medical director of Croasdaile Village Retirement Community.  Her educational activities include bedside teaching in the hospital, clinic and nursing home with geriatrics fellows, residents, medical students and other professional students such as nurse practioner, and physicain assistant. She co-directs the Advanced Course in Long-Term Care for an interprofessional group of learners.  She is currently the immediate Past-President of AMDA The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.  She has worked to develop competencies for practioners in this environment and is developing online educational modules.  Dr. White’s research focuses on the general medical care of older adults with cognitive impairment. She has studied the nutritional decline and weight loss that often accompanies Alzheimer’s disease. In collaboration with Edward Levin, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, she has explored the cognitive effects of nicotine transdermal patches in older adults with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Current work includes studying the effects of personalized music in older adults with dementia and implementing personalized music programs for pain and delirium relief in hospital and dementia care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  

keywords: cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, weight loss, nutrition, nicotine