Health Care Workforce Development in Rural America: When Geriatrics Expertise Is 100 Miles Away

• Published in: Gerontology & geriatrics education Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 133 - 151
• Main Authors: Tumosa, Nina, Horvath, Kathy J., Huh, Terri, Livote, Elayne E., Howe, Judith L., Jones, Lauren Ila, Kramer, B. Josea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01-04-2012; Routledge; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Clinics; Competency Based Education; Continuing Education; continuing medical education; continuous quality improvement; Education, Medical, Continuing - methods; Education, Medical, Continuing - trends; Education, Medical, Graduate - organization & administration; Educational Gerontology; Educational Needs; Educational Programs; Expertise; Geriatrics; Geriatrics - education; Geriatrics - organization & administration; Gerontology; Health Care Services; Health Education; Health Services Accessibility; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Improvement Programs; Intervention; Labor Force Development; Mentoring; Needs Assessment; Participant Satisfaction; Primary care; Primary Health Care; Primary Health Care - organization & administration; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Program Improvement; Quality Improvement; rural; Rural Areas; Rural Development; Rural Health Services; Teaching - methods; Teaching - trends; Training Methods; Training Objectives; United States; Veterans; Workforce planning; workforce-training needs; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0270-1960; 1545-3847
• DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2012.661812

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.