Nicole Osevala, MD

Dr. Nicole Osevala specializes in geriatric medicine and has managed the care of older adults across clinical settings including inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitative and long-term care. Her primary clinical interests include post-acute care, dementia care, fall prevention and loss of function and mobility during hospitalization.

Most recently, Dr. Osevala has engaged in the American Geriatrics Society Geriatric Hip Fracture Co-Management Program with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center's Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, in order to improve care for older adults undergoing surgery following hip fracture. Her current work has focused on pathways and protocols to optimize medical care of older adults, as well as geriatric syndromes including frailty.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Osevala serves in a number of roles within Penn State Health and Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital, including:

• Member, Department of Medicine Executive Council, January 2020 to present
• Member, Penn State Health Geriatric Scholar Program Steering Committee, February 2020 to present
• Member, Penn State Health Orthopaedics Geriatric Fracture Workgroup, 2017 to present
• Medical Director, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Transitional Care Unit, 2017 to present
• Member, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Governance Board, 2017 to present
• Member, Penn State Health Medical Group Community Practice Division Clinical Operations Committee, 2016 to present
• Co-chair, Penn State Heatlh Post-Acute Care Committee, 2016 to present
• Member, Comprehensive Joint Replacement Bundle Payment Oversight Committee, 2016 to present
• Physician leader, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Committee, 2016 to present
• QA faculty member, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital, 2015 to present
• Medical Director, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Transitional Care Unit QAPI Committee, 2014 to present
• Member, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Medical Executive Committee, 2013 to present
• Member, Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, 2013 to present

Dr. Nicole Osevala joined the Penn State College of Medicine faculty in 2010. Her current research focus is developing a consensus definition and protocol to identify frailty in older adults at highest risk for poor outcomes and increased mortality in the geriatric trauma population. This includes studying and developing a greater understanding of the underlying biologic mechanisms and predictors of reduced resiliency in the setting of physiologic stress due to trauma and surgery in older adults.

Dr. Nicole Osevala has been an educator in geriatric medicine for residents and medical and nurse practitioner students. She is a frequent presenter in Penn State Health's Geriatric Grand Rounds and is a lecturer on geriatric medicine for Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Osevala conducts nursing lectures focused on the hazards of hospitalization for adults and geriatric syndromes. She facilitates the geriatric rehabilitation rotation with the Internal Medicine Residency on a routine basis and also provides annual geriatric education to the Family and Community Medicine Residency.

Dr. Osevala also serves as a facilitator for the Science of Health Systems course for Penn State College of Medicine MD students, and supports a hub of 25 medical students who serve as Patient Navigators at local nursing homes where patients are receiving post-hospital care and long-term nursing care.

Fellow, American College of Physicians (FACP), 2013 (member, 2004 to present)

Member, American Medical Association, 2010 to present

Member, Pennsylvania Medical Society, 2009 to present

Board-certified in Geriatrics, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2007 (recertified in 2017)

Member, American Geriatrics Society, 2006 to present

Board-certified in Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2006 (recertified in 2016)