黑料网 Family Medicine is a partner in the 黑料网 Center for Aging and Health鈥檚 Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (CGWEP), which received a $5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance geriatric care across North Carolina over the next five years.
The Carolina GWEP aims to improve health outcomes for older adults by training healthcare professionals in geriatrics, focusing on innovative educational models tailored to the elderly, especially in underserved areas. This year’s grant renewal was highly competitive, with only one grant awarded per state.
Mallory McClester Brown, MD, is Co-Principal Investigator with the Division of Geriatrics鈥� Ellen Roberts, PhD, MPH. Karen Halpert, MD, is an age-friendly training co-leader on the project. The program plans to implement Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) age-friendly healthcare at clinical sites statewide, incorporating education at faculty meetings and tracking progress through PDSA cycles.
One of the important efforts of the grant is to help 黑料网 Family Medicine obtain a Level 1 Age-Friendly Health System designation training, and support our partners at Piedmont Health Services (PHS) in advancing to Level 2 at their sites. Additional educational opportunities will be provided to residents, faculty, and staff. The Division of Geriatrics clinic at Eastowne collaborates with several local continuing care retirement communities, including Carol Woods, Carolina Meadows, Gallery Ridge, The Cedars, and Parkview. Several 黑料网 Family Medicine faculty care for patients at these sites.
McClester Brown states, 鈥淥ur Department has long served Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The beauty of family medicine is that we serve people from the beginning to the end of their lives. Providers have aged with their patients, and residents have benefited greatly from having an ample number of patients in their 60s, 70s, & 80s.鈥�
The grant, managed by the Center for Aging and Health, underscores the department’s commitment to serving patients throughout their lives. As the population ages, the department is grateful for the opportunity to expand education for those with geriatric syndromes, ensuring doctors are equipped to provide expert and compassionate care to the growing Medicare population.