The Deaconess Department of Family Medicine offers an ACGME accredited Geriatric Fellowship accepting a maximum of two fellows per year. We participate fully in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applicants must be eligible for ABMS board certification in either Family Medicine or Internal Medicine to be considered. At a minimum, this requires successful completion of 36 months of an ACGME-accredited US-based residency in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine or meet criteria for reciprocity based on ABFM and ABIM guidelines. U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien status required. We are able to sponsor H-1B visas.
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Deaconess Geriatric Medicine Fellowship to develop competent and compassionate geriatricians through excellence and innovation in medical education, clinical practice, scholarship, and community service.
Program Aims
- To promote life-long learning and wellness through a geriatric curriculum that is innovative, flexible, and sensitive to the needs of fellows and the community.
- To train fellows to consistently deliver quality geriatric patient care that is comprehensive, evidence-based, and cost-conscious.
- To provide geriatric patient-centered care through a team based approach that is coordinated, accessible, and personalized.
- To encourage scholarship with a focus on quality improvement while being critical consumers of research.
- To advance the health and well-being of the geriatric population in our Tri-State community with a compassionate and caring spirit.
- To develop physician leadership skills in order to advocate for our geriatric patients, community, and profession.
Della Dillard, MD – Program Director
Dr. Dillard graduated from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1992. After completing Family Medicine residency in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, she worked at High Plains Hospital in West Texas for 8 years. She earned a Masters in Business Administration from Texas Tech University in 2003. Fulfilling a personal goal, she served in the military from 2004-2010.
With a lifelong interest in caring for the elderly and in teaching, Dr. Dillard completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oklahoma in 2011. She continued there as a faculty member for 6 years. In 2017 she returned to her hometown area to work for Deaconess Primary Care for Seniors- Oak Hill as a Geriatrician. She became the Geriatric Fellowship Program Director in 2020.
Sarah Volkman, DO – Assistant Director
Dr. Volkman attended medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine- Carolinas campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina and graduated in 2018. She completed her Family Medicine Residency in 2021 at Deaconess Hospital, Inc. in Evansville, Indiana. In 2022, she completed a Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at Deaconess Hospital and began practice as a geriatrician at Deaconess Primary Care for Seniors in 2022. She joined the faculty of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship in 2023.
Rotation Information
Rotations follow a
13 block schedule. Rotations include Nursing Home, Rehabilitation, Geriatric Psychiatry, Community and Home Based Care, Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care, Inpatient Geriatric service, Outpatient Hospice and electives.
Salary & Benefits
| 2023-2024 |
Fellow |
Method of Payment |
| Salary |
$72,865 |
Paid bi-weekly |
| Relocation |
Up to $3,000 |
Maximum reimbursement for documented relocation expenses incurred prior to the effective date of fellow Agreement or within 90 days thereafter. |
Professional
Development Fund* |
5 days
$1,400 |
With prior approval, paid upon completion & approval of travel expenses submitted to Concur (health system reimbursement software). |
*Unused professional development fund dollars and time are not paid out upon termination of employment contract.
**
View PDF document for Full Salary and Benefit details.
How to Apply
All applicants must submit a universal application via the
Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).
For more information on our Geriatric Fellowship program please fill out the form below.