Resources For Emergency Physician In Pre-Retirement Years

Sports, Fitness and Exercise:

U.S. National Senior Sports, formerly known as US National Senior Olympics. These events are held every two years. Competitors must be 55 years or older and qualify at a local or state competition. There are more than 500 separate events including basketball, bicycling, bowling, golf and softball. Address: U.S. National Senior Sports Organization, 83 Princeton Avenue, Hopewell, NJ 08525. Phone: 609/466-0022. Website: https://nsga.com/.

National Senior Sports Association: A non-profit organization that assists people over 50 in their pursuit of physical and emotional health. They organize tournaments (competitive as well as recreational) in tennis, bowling, golf, skiing, and fishing at various resorts. They also organize sports-oriented vacations. Members receive discounts on a variety of sports equipment. Address: NSSA, Suite 204, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Phone: 800/282-6772.

50-+ Runners Association: Formed by researchers at Stanford University. Promotes exchange of information and encourages studies of the effects and impact of running on different aspects of life. Runners receive an excellent quarterly newsletter. Address: 50-+ Fitness Association, P. O. Box 20230, Stanford, California 94309.

The Walker's Club of America: A national organization that promotes fitness through walking. Address: The Walker’s Club of America, P. O. Box M, Livingston Manor, NY 12758.

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: Developed with health professionals and policymakers in mind, the Physical Activity Guidelines describe (1) a total amount of activity per week that allows people to design their own way of meeting the Guidelines and (2) a range of physical activity options. More information and 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans materials are available online at http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/

The American Volkssport Association: A non-profit organization whose goal is to promote physical fitness and good health by encouraging all people, regardless of age, to exercise in non-competitive, stress-free programs. Included among the programs are non-competitive walking, swimming, bicycling and cross-country skiing events. Each event has a pre-marked scenic trail and/or measured distance designed to appeal to all ages. Address: American Volkssport Association, 1001 Pat Booker Road, Suite 101, Universal City, TX 78148. Website: www.ava.org.

National Institute on Aging: Provides articles and other general information on how exercise can help you live a longer, healthier life. Address: National Institute on Aging, Information Center, P. O. Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057. Phone: 800/222-2225. Website: https://www.nia.nih.gov/.

U. S. National Park System and Recreational Areas: Information is available on national parks, historic sites, and monuments across the country. Address: National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Phone: 202/208-6843. Website: www.nps.gov.

Retirement Planning:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Commission on Aging: This agency provides a variety of booklets with pre-retirement counseling services. Phone: 800/677-1116. Website: www.aoa.gov, or www.hhs.gov.

Medicare Hotline: This office assists in questions relating to Medicare and also distributes information booklets. Phone: 800/638-6833. Website: https://www.medicare.gov/talk-to-someone.

Senior Citizens Health Insurance Counseling Program: This organization helps seniors evaluate their healthcare needs and options. This is a free service provided by the National Association of Life Underwriters. Phone: 703/276-0220. Website: www.nahu.org.

Consumer's Guide to Insurance: This non-profit organization provides guidance on a variety of insurance options. Phone: 888/543-3777. Website: www.life-line.org.

Educational and Travel Opportunities:

Auditing Seniors: A large number of state and city universities allow seniors to audit their courses free of charge or for a nominal sum. Check with your local institutions.

The Earthwatch Institute: Participants volunteer to go on scientific research projects. Worldwide in scope. Phone: 800/776-0188. Website: www.earthwatch.org.

Roadscholar: A non-profit organization that provides one and two week educational programs in more than 2,000 colleges, universities, research stations and other educational institutions worldwide. Classes are a blend of lectures, cultural events, local exploration and social activities. Phone: 877/426-8056. Website: www.roadscholar.org.

The Smithsonian Institution: This program presents a wide variety of educational opportunities including cultural activities and public outreach programs, including performing arts, lectures, films, and courses. Phone: 202/357-3030. Website: www.SI.edu.

Chautauqua Institution: This institution provides summer weekends and one-week programs for seniors. They present a wide variety of educational programs, workshops, evening entertainment and recreational activities. Phone: 800/836-arts. Website: https://chq.org/.

Senior Summer School: This organization offers seniors an opportunity to enhance their summer through leisure, education and discovery at campus locations across the United States and Canada. Website: www.seniorsummerschool.com. Phone: 800/847-2466.

Osher Life-long Learning Institute: This organization offers a large variety of courses (credit and non-credit) at more than 100 colleges and universities across the country. Website: http://www.osherfoundation.org/index.php?programs.
Phone: (415) 861-5587

Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs: This organization offers masters degree programs in a variety of liberal studies. Website: http://www.aglsp.org/. Phone: 919/684-1987.

Health

National Institute on Aging: This is a government agency providing free publications on many areas of health and aging. Phone: 301/496-1752. Website: www.nih.gov.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): Provides a variety of materials relating to cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, asthma, and sleep disorders. Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/. Phone: 800/575-well.

American Heart Association: Provides a variety of reports and brochures covering all types of heart disease. They also provide guidelines for preventative care. Website: www.americanheart.org. Phone: 800/aha-usa1.

Consumer Reports on Health: This is a monthly, independent, non-profit publication with reviews on topics such as nutrition, exercise, and aging as well as related goods and services. The cost is $24 per year. Website: www.consumerreports.org/health.

MyPlate.gov: The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite. Small changes matter. Start Simple with MyPlate. Website: https://www.myplate.gov/

Organizations Providing Services for Seniors:

Social Security Administration: Provides information on Social Security Programs, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, as well as local senior programs and activities. Phone: 800/772-1213.

National Institute on Aging: Provides many free publications on a variety of health and aging-related issues. Website: www.nia.nih.gov/. Phone: 800/222-2225.

State Agencies: Each state has an Office on Aging that provides information for all matters relating to the needs of seniors. They also provide senior discount programs.

National Senior Service Corps: A national network of projects that place older volunteers in assignments in their communities. Website: https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps-seniors Phone: 800/424-8867.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA): This agency is responsible for administering the Medicare Program and assists with all matters and questions relating to the program. Website: www.hhs.gov. Phone: 202/619-0257.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP): A non-profit organization providing a variety of services to seniors including insurance, travel, pharmacy, and educational resources. Website: www.aarp.com. Phone: 800/424-3410.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Project Hope: This organization offers volunteer opportunities in more than 30 countries. They can accommodate emergency physicians for assignments lasting from a week to a year. Website: www.projecthope.org. Phone: 800/544-4673.

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres: Recipient of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, this organization is involved in more than 70 countries. They seek emergency medicine physicians willing to volunteer for a minimum of six months. They prefer physicians with knowledge of tropical medicine or foreign languages or previous field experience. Website: www.doctorswithoutborders.org. Phone: 212/679-6800.

Senior Corps: This organization links people over the age of 55 with organizations that need their services. They include such services as mentoring, coaching, or contributing to job skills and expertise in community projects and organizations. Programs include the foster grandparent program, senior companion program, and RSVP – a program that makes volunteers with organizations needing their particular skills and availability. Website: https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps. Phone: 202/606-5000.

Americare's Free Clinics, Inc.: This organization provides healthcare services to uninsured residents of Connecticut. They need emergency physicians for three hour sessions at clinics for usually 6-8 weeks.

International Medical Corps: This organization has conducted volunteer missions since 1984 in places in need of serious humanitarian aid, including natural disasters. They prefer a commitment of at least three weeks of service. Website: www.imcworldwide.org. Phone: 310/826-7800.

American Medical Association, Senior Physician’s Group: Provides resources for physicians to remain active in medicine if they consider late-career transitions. They have an extensive database of opportunities for volunteers, both in the United States and overseas. They also provide linkages to Locum Tenens opportunities. Other benefits include travel programs and an AMA publication for senior physicians. Also offered are insurance programs and a wealth of written material on financial planning, emotional aspects of retirement, and healthy lifestyles. Cost is $30 per year. Website: www.ama-assn.org/go/spg. Phone: 800/262-3211, ext. 5622.

Volunteers in Medicine: Begun in 1994, this organization uses retired physicians to provide clinic care to serve the needs of uninsured patients. There are now multiple such clinics across the country. Website: info@vimi.org. Phone: (802) 651-0112

General:

Senior Information Network: This is a national senior resource guide with links to AARP, Social Security Administration, National Council on Aging, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Its database provides a wealth of information about local senior resources as well.

Kiplinger's Retirement Report: A monthly publication with wide-ranging reviews on topics such as finance, travel, and health. Cost is $59.95 per year. Website: www.kiplinger.com/. Phone: 800/544-0155.