Preparing health professionals to meet the unique needs of western and central New York’s growing geriatric populationIn parts of western and central New York, 20 percent of residents are 65 or older, and the aging population is expected to continue to grow. But as a 2005 Foundation report revealed, the region’s health providers aren’t prepared to meet the needs of the aging population due to the low number of physicians seeking geriatric specialty certification and the lack of preparedness by generalists, who are often the ones caring for frail elders. To ensure western and central New York’s aging residents receive the specialized care they need, the Health Foundation began with a few workforce projects, combining them in 2009 in its Geriatric Workforce initiative. Through a series of projects, the initiative aims to increase recruitment, retention, and competence physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, home health aides and other health care related professionals who serve frail elders and their families. These projects include:
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Sending primary care physicians to the annual four-day Harvard Medical School Annual Review of Geriatric Medicine. -
Providing stipends and a specialized aging curriculum to social work graduate students at the University at Buffalo who are interested in specializing in gerontology. - Providing scholarships to nurse practitioner and physician assistant students in our regions who emphasize geriatric medicine in their training and fieldwork.
For more information on these projects, and others included in the Geriatric Workforce initiative, please click on the links below.
Projects
Beyond a Warm Body: Enhancing geriatric care in Central New York by improving recruitment and retention of frontline health care workers
Genesee Community College Geriatric Clinical Rotation for Nursing Students: Creating a more elder-friendly health care workforce by giving nursing students hands-on experience
Geriatric Clinical Practice Series: Educating future nurse practitioners and physician assistants to improve the quality of geriatric medical care
HHA Peer Mentors & Geriatric Care Giver Level II: Improving eldercare in Central New York by strengthening the home- and community-based care workforce
Physician Geriatric Education: Harvard Medical School Annual Review of Geriatric Medicine
The Tompkins County Long Term Care Workforce Initiative: Identifying resources to improve quality of care through community collaboration
University at Buffalo Social Work Partnership Program
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