TY - JOUR
T1 - Health care workforce development in rural America
T2 - When geriatrics expertise is 100 miles away
AU - Tumosa, Nina
AU - Horvath, Kathy J.
AU - Huh, Terri
AU - Livote, Elayne E.
AU - Howe, Judith L.
AU - Jones, Lauren Ila
AU - Kramer, B. Josea
N1 - Funding Information:
To meet the challenge of filling the gap in knowledge and practice in geriatrics, VA developed a multimodal in-service, continuing education program for clinicians working in CBOCs. The integrated multicomponent approach over a one-year period of time differs from the VA Employee Education System’s excellent but modest one-time learning opportunities, which are typically delivered in one-hour distance learning modalities. This workforce development approach, the Geriatric Scholars Program (GSP), is a collaboration of nine VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs), in conjunction with the VA Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care. The project is funded by the VA Office of Rural Health.
Funding Information:
GSP is also made possible by partnerships with VA and non-VA organizations. New in-service education programs initiated by GSP programs are sponsored by the VA Employee Education System, which accredits the programs for continuing medical education (CME) and for continuing education units (CEU) in the associated health professions. GSP leverages resources from VA programs affiliated with the GRECCs, including programs supported by their medical centers (e.g., technical support for the learning community web site) as well as the VA National Quality Scholars Program. Each GRECC is affiliated with a medical school and university, and GSP leveraged the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California (Los Angeles), the Harvard Medical School (Boston), and the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (New York) well-reviewed intensive courses and board reviews in geriatric medicine and pharmacy for the intensive didactic education. Each of these 3-to 4-day courses typically involves 30 to 40 academic leaders in a range of disciplines. Scholars are able to select the location, date, or curriculum that best fits their educational plans. Several Geriatric Education Centers (funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration) provide CME/CEU-accreditation for distance learning, as well as evaluation consultation and assistance with the development of enduring teaching materials and curriculum development. Finally, enduring educational programs are archived at the Portal of Online Geriatric Education (POGOe; www.pogoe.org), a free repository of geriatric education materials that is funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - The Geriatric Scholar Program (GSP) is a Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) workforce development program to infuse geriatrics competencies in primary care. This multimodal educational program is targeted to primary care providers and ancillary staff who work in VA's rural clinics. GSP consists of didactic education and training in geriatrics and gerontology and in quality improvement (QI) and support to implement a local QI project; in addition, elective options include webinars, audio conferences, clinical practica, and mentoring. The program is effective in improving core competencies in geriatrics and in improving clinical care for older Veterans who receive health care in rural clinics.
AB - The Geriatric Scholar Program (GSP) is a Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) workforce development program to infuse geriatrics competencies in primary care. This multimodal educational program is targeted to primary care providers and ancillary staff who work in VA's rural clinics. GSP consists of didactic education and training in geriatrics and gerontology and in quality improvement (QI) and support to implement a local QI project; in addition, elective options include webinars, audio conferences, clinical practica, and mentoring. The program is effective in improving core competencies in geriatrics and in improving clinical care for older Veterans who receive health care in rural clinics.
KW - continuing education
KW - continuing medical education
KW - continuous quality improvement
KW - primary care
KW - rural
KW - workforce-training needs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859700983&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02701960.2012.661812
DO - 10.1080/02701960.2012.661812
M3 - Article
C2 - 22490071
AN - SCOPUS:84859700983
SN - 0270-1960
VL - 33
SP - 133
EP - 151
JO - Gerontology and Geriatrics Education
JF - Gerontology and Geriatrics Education
IS - 2
ER -