Meet the BOD: Michael R. Wasserman, MD
Meet The CALTCM Board of Directors:
Michael R. Wasserman, MD
BOD Member, Chair, Education Committee
Published November 1, 2015

 

Dr. Wasserman is the new Chairperson of the CALTCM Education committee, and he welcomes your input for the development of our education programs.

Dr. Michael Wasserman is Director of Nursing Home Patient Safety for Health Services Advisory Group. He has devoted himself to serving the needs of seniors for the past thirty years.  In 2001 he co-founded Senior Care of Colorado, which became the largest privately owned primary care geriatric practice in the country, before selling it to IPC in 2010.  He previously was President and Chief Medical Officer for GeriMed of America, a Geriatric Medical Management Company located in Denver, Colorado.  While at GeriMed, he helped to develop GeriMed’s Clinical Glidepaths in conjunction with Drs. Flaherty and Morley of St. Louis University’s School of Medicine Geriatric Division.

Dr. Wasserman is a graduate of the University of Texas, Medical Branch.  He completed an Internal Medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at UCLA.  He spent five years with Kaiser-Permanente in Southern California where he developed a Consultative Geriatric Medical model.  Dr. Wasserman was a co-founder and owner of Common Sense Medical Management (CSM2), a case management company that helped manage high risk beneficiaries of Cover Colorado.  He is past chair of the American Geriatrics Society’s Managed Care Task Force and presently serves on the Public Policy Committee.  He also serves on AMDA's Public Policy Committee, and was formerly a Public Commissioner for the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.  

Dr. Wasserman was a co-founder of MESA (Medicare Experts and Senior Access) a multiyear grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to train primary care physicians in how to effectively care and bill for Medicare patients.  He was the lead delegate from the State of Colorado to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.  He also co-chaired the Colorado Alzheimer’s Coordinating Council.  Dr. Wasserman has actively supported the Wish of a Lifetime Foundation since its inception and now serves on its Board. He served on the Board of The Denver Hospice for fifteen years.  He serves as a board member for the American Geriatrics Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging.  He has spoken extensively and been published on a variety of topics involving geriatrics,  healthy aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, the business of healthcare, practice management and managed care. 

Interview with Dr. Wasserman:


CALTCM:  Please give us a brief background of your training, practice setting and how many years you have been in practice.

Dr. Wasserman: I decided to become a geriatrician during my 3rd year of Medical School at University of Texas, Medical Branch, in Galveston, Tx. I subsequently did my “geriatric” residency at Cedars-Sinai, and my geriatric fellowship at UCLA. Over the last 25 years, I have practiced in multiple settings, including hospital based senior clinics, group model HMO’s and private practice.


CALTCM:  What are you passionate about in post-acute/ long term care? How are you pursuing your passion?

Dr. Wasserman: I am passionate about respecting the dignity and autonomy of the most vulnerable members of our society. My new position with Health Services Advisory Group, as Director of Nursing Home Safety, has given me a “bully pulpit,” from which to pursue this passion. If you want to get me talking about something incessantly, ask me about QAPI!


CALTCM:  What advice would you give to a new graduate contemplating a career in long- term care?

Dr. Wasserman:  There are and will be huge opportunities in the coming years in the long term care arena. The population has a level of complexity that will always keep you engaged. Also, there are no waiting rooms for patients to become frustrated in!


CALTCM:  What additional training do you wish you had that may help with your current practice?

Dr. Wasserman:  Actually, I’m a recovering workaholic. I wish that I’d learned the art of meditation earlier in my career.


CALTCM:  How has CALTCM impacted your practice?

Dr. Wasserman: CALTCM has given me the opportunity to interact with others across the clinical spectrum who share my passion for caring for older adults.