CCU professor to lead U.S. delegation to Russia for gerontology exchange
The collaborative program is funded by the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Its purpose is to pair U.S. health care professionals with Russian health care providers to study and exchange best-practice information.
For Hills, a psychology professor and policy board member of the S.C. Center for Gerontology at USC who specializes in gerontology, this trip marks his 10th visit to Russia since 2005. Most of his previous trips were financed through Fulbright grants for the purpose of teaching and gathering research on the aging Russian population.
"Gerontology is a relatively young area of study, involving several research and application sciences," says Hills. "This project, which involves sharing best practices through a peer-to-peer exchange is a win-win situation: both the US and Russia benefit as the study creates and develops an important dialogue between Russian and U.S. gerontology specialists. It also furthers Coastal Carolina University interests in helping professors gain more depth of knowledge in older adult issues and broadens the ability of the University to reach out with programs and services to our rapidly growing community of seniors."
 In addition to Hills, members of the team traveling to Russia are Dr. Victor Hirth, a geriatrician with the Senior Primary Care Practice at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia; Sue Haddock, associate chief of staff for research at the WJB Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia and adjunct associate professor at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health; Maureen Dever-Bumba, associate vice president of health sciences at Florence-Darlington Technical College; Karen Scott, nurse manager at WJB Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center in Columbia; Karen Hills, a licensed independent social worker-clinical practice gerontology specialist; Rita Chou, head of the S.C. Center for Gerontology; and Dennis Reed, production manager for media services at CCU.
During the visit, the delegation will travel to Moscow, Vologda City and Pskov to visit communities and learn more about programs that deal with the elderly populations in Russia, where the life expectancy is age 70, according to researchers, as compared to 78.8 in the United States, according to a government report.
The Russian delegation, led by Moscow physician Dr. Edward Karyukhim, will visit South Carolina June 18- 28. During that time, they will visit hospices, community living centers and programs that deal with the elderly. The group plans to meet with the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging and the Horry County Council on Aging; they would also like to visit the VA, Brightwater continuing care retirement community, CCU's Lifelong Learning program and Still Hopes, a 30-acre retirement community in Columbia that offers continuing care through various stages of aging and health care.