The Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC), a Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, has reached the halfway point in our funding. We continue to achieve our goals for this program, along with our long-time partners (ASU and UCA) and our more recent partners (CareLink, Mainline Clinic in Lincoln County, McAuley Senior Center, and AARP), to educate health professionals, students, caregivers, first responders and the general public about issues and topics that affect our older population. We are also proud of our innovative projects to improve patient care and disseminate best practices information using a variety of delivery systems.
In preparation for a new grand cycle that starts at the end of 2017, we are developing a statewide needs assessment. We really want, need and appreciate your input and ideas. Please think about what information or experiences you would like to have to provide better care to our older adult patients. Then watch and listen for our notification that the needs assessment survey is available and respond to it! The more input we have, the more valuable our future events will be for you. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail your suggestions for topics and programs to agec@uams.edu or post a note on our website page.
The AGEC funded two junior faculty fellowships during 2016 and had outstanding fellows, Drs. Jennifer Vincenzo and Elvin Price. Dr. Vincenzo is faculty in physical therapy at UAMS Northwest and Dr. Price is faculty in pharmacy at UAMS. We are excited to have two new fellows for 2017. Dr. Lisa VanHoose is physical therapy faculty at UCA and Dr. Upendra Kar is research faculty in the UAMS College of Pharmacy. We anticipate great things from both of them and are delighted to be able to offer them this opportunity.
We continue to offer video teleconferences four times/year; to sponsor Alzheimer’s disease-focused geriatric grand rounds twice yearly; offer Arkansas Geriatric Education Mentors and Scholars (AR-GEMS) for health care professionals; host the Summer Institute for faculty members who want an update on geriatric content; sponsor training for first responders, community members and others. For those interested in more education and programs in geriatrics, more information can be obtained at our website, www.agec.org.
As we plan ahead, we would love to hear from you about what you would like to know more about. Remember, we will be conducting a statewide needs assessment in the spring, 2017 and hope you will take the time to answer the questions on-line or by using a mailed survey.
We all wish you a very happy and successful new year and look forward to your participation in one or more of our programs. Hope to see you soon!
Ronni Chernoff, Ph.D., FAND, FASPEN, Director, AGEC and Professor, Reynold’s Department of Geriatrics