Commentary on the Health Resources and Services Administration Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program special supplement

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is committed to providing healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills to care for older adults and supports the training of the healthcare workforce through its Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) cooperative agreement program. The purpose of GWEP is to improve health outcomes for older adults by developing a healthcare workforce that maximizes patient and family engagement, and by integrating geriatrics and primary care. An infographic (Figure 1) shows the major components of GWEP, including education and training on patient-centered care and evaluation. Evaluation includes trainee satisfaction and increase in their knowledge and skills. Evaluation also measures the adoption of new knowledge, skills, and patient satisfaction with their healthcare. GWEP began in 2015 (44 awards). A second cohort of 48 awardees began in 2019. A third cohort (42 awards) begins in July of 2024.

GWEP recipients use multiple tools to manage and evaluate their IPET. These tools include (1) working within reciprocal partnerships; (2) using the age-friendly health system (AFHS) framework to promote age-friendly and dementia-capable care in primary care; (3) embracing innovations that lead to practice transformations; and (4) using process and patient outcome evaluation techniques. Examples of how these tools have been used by the second cohort of GWEP recipients are provided in this Special Supplement.

Geriatrics educators must focus on developing trainings and education that can be used nationally, as well as locally, to improve health and healthcare of older adults. Given the variability of sites that provide primary care to older adults, from self-care to nursing home care, and from in-home care services to hospice care, this is not an easy task. However, identifying and delivering this training and education content, and determining which educational modalities work best in any given site, are well worth that effort.

The examples of work described in this supplement show that the future of aging includes reasons to hope for ongoing increases in longevity with less disability, with the inclusion of the patient, family, and caregivers in this journey. GWEP will continue to work at reducing disability and maintaining autonomy to allow longer, fuller lives. This effort will have an impact on the long-term health of everyone as they age, if not now, then in the future.

The authors made equal contributions to this work, including concept and design, drafting, and revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and final review.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

The activities described in this article were funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant number U1QHP28732.

The views expressed by Nina Tumosa and Joan Weiss in this article are solely the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), nor does the mention of the HHS or HRSA imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.