Workforce Enhancements in Healthy Aging and Independent Living

Purpose: Older adults are among the fastest growing age group in the United States and use many health care services, have complex conditions, and require professional expertise to meet their health care needs. Having a geriatric workforce capable of carefully managing the medical conditions of seniors to assist with healthy independent lifestyles is important. The University of North Texas Health Science Center expanded unique partnerships with Texas Christian University, JPS Health Network, and United Way’s Area Agency on Aging to create the Workforce Enhancement in Healthy Aging and Independent Living (WE HAIL) Program. As the only Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program awarded in Texas, WE HAIL advances geriatric education by aligning learning objectives and activities with community needs of an aging population. Program innovations take cross-sector approaches to integrate evidence base programs into health professional training, and expand training opportunities for rural areas and underserved populations. Applying a Rapid-cycle Continuous Quality Improvement (RCQI) method, WE HAIL provides training enhancements for the following learner groups: 1) undergraduate and graduate students; 2) faculty; 3) family medicine residents; 4) practicing health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and dieticians; and 5) caregivers of older adults. Methods: Data will include trainee demographic information through the HRSA-GWEP Performance Report for Grants and Cooperative Agreements (PRGCA), feedback from trainees on usefulness, intention to use, and suggestions for future activities, and pre-post measures for practitioner knowledge, skills, and effectiveness. Additional data includes older adult outcomes from program-specific validated tools, and cross-program measures using Centers for Disease Control Healthy Days (4-items) and National Health Interview Survey Utilization (4-items). Results: Five Innovation teams of interprofessional faculty and community organizations, including Meals on Wheels, Senior Citizen Services, Alzheimer’s Association and James L. West Alzheimer’s Center, convened to plan and develop enhancements in existing programs. New programs are proposed for a Geriatric Certificate for Family Medicine Residency Programs, and a Geriatric Professional Leadership Institute. Proposed enhancements and new programs will be implemented during 2016-2018 to impact over 2,000 health professions students, almost 100 family medicine residents, over 500 primary care practices, and over 2,000 older adults and their caregivers. Conclusions: WE HAIL collaboration will deliver quality training enhancements and increase the number of geriatric-trained primary care providers to meet the needs of older adults at individual, community and population levels.