Caroline Vitale, MD

Dr. Vitale joined the Division in 2009. Now serving as Director of the University of Michigan Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program and Associate Director for Education and Evaluation of the VA Ann Arbor Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), she is involved in geriatric curriculum development, teaching and mentoring. She enjoys rendering individualized care to older adults with a focus on enhancing quality of life. Her teaching and academic areas of interest include ethical decision-making, geriatric palliative care, and efforts to understand physician and interprofessional roles in care decisions affecting older adults, especially those with dementia. Dr. Vitale is the previous Chair of the American Geriatrics Society’s Ethics Committee, and has been committed to improving care of older adults through her work on several national workgroups. She has authored publications covering ethical issues and palliative care concepts. Her clinical and academic efforts are focused on enhancing geriatric palliative care practices and in training the next generation of geriatric physicians.