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NSU South Florida GWEP

The South Florida Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (SFGWEP) is a five-year, $3.5 million project supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is located within Nova Southeastern University's Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The South Florida GWEP is committed to providing interprofessional programs to maintain and improve the health of ethically and culturally diverse older adults from underserved areas across Florida, educating and training health professionals in health promotion and prevention, emphasizing undergraduate and graduate professional education, and serving the needs of underserved with innovative teaching and clinical experiences. The GWEP encourages, enhances, and continually promotes the profession of geriatrics to students at all levels of education, and provides ongoing education and information dissemination to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their families and caregivers.

Goals

• Goal 1-Develop partnerships to educate and train a workforce: GWEP will develop an effective reciprocal partnership infrastructure and communication process to ensure project success. An advisory council will convene to enhance complementary skills and create synergies to improve outcomes under the leadership of the dedicated interprofessional team
• Goal 2-Train geriatrics specialists, primary care providers, health profession students, fellows, residents, and faculty: GWEP will employ four strategies to integrate geriatrics and primary care training through promoting geriatric competencies and awareness of social determinants of health enabling the health care workforce to deliver person-centered care in age-friendly health systems. These are curriculum redesign, 2) student training, 3) provider and faculty training, 4) RCQI assessment and dissemination of training modules.
• Goal 3-Transform clinical training environments to become age-friendly health systems: GWEP will facilitate an age friendly health system among primary care preceptor sites by identifying opportunities to integrate the 4 Ms. Site specific needs of primary care sites will be identified and a self-assessment tool will be provided to measure 4 Ms. These are mobility, mentation, what matters, and medication
• Goal 4 – Deliver community-based programs to improve health outcomes for older adults:  GWEP will provide patients, families, and caregivers the necessary knowledge and skills to improve health outcomes for older adults, such as reduction in injurious falls, re-hospitalizations, and episodes of delirium.
• Goal 5 – Provide training on ADRD and dementia-friendly communities/primary care practices: GWEP will provide training to health care professionals, students, patients, families, and caregivers in the early detection, prevention, and management of patients with ADRD to support transformation to dementia-friendly communities and primary care delivery sites.