Grant to fund training for geriatric healthcare workers
September 28, 2015
IN THE NEWS: More than 8 million seniors – 20 percent of Californians – will be 65 and older by 2030, overwhelming a healthcare system sorely lacking geriatric expertise.
To help remedy the situation, this summer, the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $35.7 million in nationwide grants as part of its Geriatrics Workforce Program. In California, UC Irvine, UCLA, USC and UC San Diego each received three-year, $2.5-million grants.
Dr. Lisa Gibbs, chief, UCI Health Division of Geriatrics Medicine & Gerontology, and medical director, UCI Health SeniorHealth Center, is leading the UC Irvine effort. She told the California Health Report that in Orange County, there are not enough healthcare services or professionals in the community who understand the unique needs of older adults.
She describes how the funds will be used to develop a new geriatric medicine curriculum at UC Irvine, as well to launch two geriatric care clinics and enhance collaboration with county health organizations to train clinicians and staff in geriatric care.
Read the California Health Report article here ›
