Ann Braus, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology
Medical School: University of Rochester
Residency: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Family Medicine)
Fellowship: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and Veterans Administration (Geriatrics and Gerontology)
Joined the Department of Medicine as a faculty member: August, 2018

What is your primary professional focus in any or all of our mission areas (clinical, research, and/or medical education)?
Clinical practice is my main focus, but given the general shortage of Geriatricians relative to the aging of the US population, teaching is very important to me as well. I’d love for trainees in all specialties to have a solid core of basic geriatric medicine principles to apply in their future work to ensure that our patients get exceptional care as they age.

What drew you to UW-Madison and the Department of Medicine?
My husband Nick and I both grew up in Madison and returned after medical school to do our residencies at UW. I went on to do my Geriatrics fellowship here, and loved it. We have spent the last 3 years in Minnesota while Nick completed a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, and are now thrilled to be back home in Madison amongst family, friends and colleagues from our training.

What are you most excited about during your first year with the department in this role?
I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to practice in several different clinical settings within the Division of Geriatrics. I’ll be spending time attending on the ACE (Acute Care for the Elderly) consult service at UW, taking care of a panel of primary care patients at the UW East and Oakwood Geriatrics clinics, and likely doing some rounds at local nursing homes. Transitions in medical care settings (home, hospital, skilled nursing facilities, etc.) can be precarious for our frail patients and I hope that by practicing in all of these places I’ll be able to help optimize those transitions for those that I work with.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Spending time with my husband Nick and our 4 year-old daughter Nora. You might spot us toting Nora around town in our new cargo bike (we’ll see how it goes with the biking come winter, but we’re hardy Midwesterners so I’m optimistic…)

Favorite piece of advice from a mentor or inspiring figure in your life?
“Every new symptom in a geriatric patient is the side effect of a medication until proven otherwise”. ---Anonymous geriatrician (it never ceases to amaze me how often this turns out to be true!)