The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a long history and commitment to teaching health profession students in gerontology and geriatrics. Under the leadership of Dr. Jane Potter, the last ten years have seen the development of several programs in geriatrics. Two years ago, the College of Medicine was the recipient of a Geriatric Leadership Academic Award and named Dr. Jane Potter, Chief, Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Internal Medicine, to develop multidisciplinary research in aging and expand the scope of the geriatric training programs. During the initial 2 years of the award, Dr. Potter has made progress toward achieving the initial project goals working in concert with several departments within the Colleges of Medicine and Nursing. The six aims of this renewal application are: (1) to facilitate multidisciplinary research efforts in aging among faculty which includes laboratory based, clinical science and ethical approaches. This will be accomplished through collaboration and recruitment of faculty and through funding seed grants. (2) to expand computerized clinical data sets for use by geriatrics faculty and trainees. This approach overcomes a major obstacle for trainees and junior faculty who have a limited time frame in which to conduct clinical research. It also promotes collaboration with faculty from Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. (3) to improve postdoctoral research training programs and facilitate research for graduate students in gerontological nursing. Geriatric fellows are involved in didactic work, supervised research, and manuscript preparation. Nursing research will be facilitated through provisions of research sites and collaboration among faculty. (4) to stimulate interest and facilitate research in aging among health profession students. Research stipends would continue to support research in aging and the Physician Assistant Program would be assisted in development of a student research program. A research fund is being established to support stipends beyond the period of the GLAA. (5) to extend the interdisciplinary curriculum and clinical training in aging to include residents at the Veterans Hospital, the Physician Assistant, and the Gerontological Nursing programs. This program expansion would accommodate all students in the latter two programs and would represent the first formal geriatrics training for the former group. (6) establish a rural outreach program to provide instruction in geriatric medicine to rural practitioners and develop Dementia Assessment Sites within several rural communities.
This aim i s an approach to what is felt by many to be the most pressing public health concern of this rural state.
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