San Diego County appointed Dr. Lindsey Yourman, MD as the region’s first Chief Geriatric Officer to help lead efforts surrounding the health and well-being of older adults.
Dr. Yourman began serving as Chief Geriatric Officer last month, which is the first of its kind within the county's Health and Human Services Agency(HHSA) Medical Care Services Department. This new position comes as San Diego’s older adult population is expected to reach nearly 1 million over the next decade.
“In 2010, our region had about a half million residents 60 years of age or older,” HHSA Director Nick Macchione said in a statement. “Since then, we have added about a quarter million more and by 2030 the older adult population is expected to surpass 900,000. The growth is even more rapid for the number of San Diegans 85 years of age and older, which will see its population is going to grow 40 percent in the next eight years. The need is here, and we are excited to add Dr. Yourman to the team which already includes a Child Health Officer.
In her newly minted role, Dr. Yourman will work closely with County Aging & Independence Services and support all HHSA departments serving older adults. The CGO will advance the County’s Aging Roadmap by helping to improve the coordination of health and social services, and working with local physicians to improve the detection, diagnosis, and management of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“I see the creation of the County’s Chief Geriatric Officer position as a victory for older adults and us all as we age in San Diego County,” said Dr. Yourman. “For me, it means the opportunity to apply my life’s passion, the soul and science of Geriatric Medicine, to support the health, dignity, and connectedness of all of us as we age. My grandparents inspired me to go into Geriatric Medicine and I wish they were here to celebrate this.”
Dr, Yourman is a graduate of Harvard College her education as a Health Advocacy Fellow at the Medicare Rights Center in New York City, and later attended the University of California, San Francisco Medical School. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Scripps Mercy and her Geriatric Fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, where she worked clinically in diverse settings across San Diego County.
County officials say that is where she became interested in studying models of care that best serve older adults. Dr. Yourman’s work includes clinical leadership of interprofessional teams to help older adults live independently and studying quality improvement and implementation science to improve healthcare delivery for older adults.
“Dr. Yourman brings the County an immense wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise surrounding the unique needs of older adults,” said Eric McDonald, MD, MPH, HHSA Chief Medical Officer.“We are thrilled to have her join our team and lead the County’s vision to better serve this growing population.”
