Meet the West Health Accelerator Team: Gillian Saris, OT, BCG

Gillian Saris is an occupational therapist board certified in gerontology. She serves as a clinical specialist in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Department at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. 

She joined the West Health Champions program to deepen her expertise in geriatric care and enhance her ability to support older adult populations.

Q&A

Why are you passionate about caring for older adults?

Gillian Saris: I’ve developed a passion for working with older adults through my experience in a range of care settings, including acute care, various rehabilitation settings (including acute rehab, long-term acute care and skilled nursing facilities) and home care — all of which have given me valuable insight into the continuum of care. With the growing role of home-based models like home care and hospital-at-home, I see increasing opportunities to better support older adults in the communities in which they live.

What’s one small change that can make a big difference in the care of older adults?

GS: As an interdisciplinary hospital team, I believe we can make a meaningful impact by working more collaboratively to address the challenges older adults face. In the acute care setting, I see how complex discharge planning can be—particularly in a post-COVID world where hospital readmissions and extended stays are more common. These issues are even more difficult when patients haven’t engaged in long-term care planning or when community resources are limited. 

What do you hope to achieve in the West Health Champions program? 

GS: I think this program will provide an opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary group that will make effective changes to improve overall care and outcomes for patients.