New Pitt Center to Aid Health Care Workers in Geriatrics

PITTSBURGH—The graying of America presents unique challenges to the delivery of quality health care services to seniors throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. The University of Pittsburgh is helping regional health care providers meet those challenges with a new Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, courtesy of a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

“Through this geriatrics program, the University of Pittsburgh will play a significant role in better preparing our region’s health care workforce to respond to the unique needs of older patients and their families,” said Richard Schulz, director of the University’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program as well as the director of Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research. “Our goals and objectives for the program are ambitious and wide reaching. In the coming years, we will be able to advance dementia-care competency and preparedness across multiple disciplines, enhance the care of elderly veterans, and improve the mental health care of older adults in primary-care facilities. We also will establish a regional, community-based outreach and resource center.”

The program will partner with area primary-care facilities and community-based organizations to carry out training endeavors that address the care needs of older adults. It also will assist local health facilities with implementing national directives regarding geriatric care and education.

Pitt’s program will be implemented by the Geriatric Education Center of Pennsylvania, a segment of Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research. Collaborating partners in the initiative include the Aging Institute of UPMC Senior Services and the University of Pittsburgh, the Center for Healthy Aging at Pennsylvania State University, and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

Pitt’s program is one of four new federally funded geriatrics initiatives in the Commonwealth and the only such program located in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Pitt is among 44 organizations in the nation chosen to establish these programs. Other notable higher-education institutions to receive grants include Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Chicago, and Yale University.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. Comprising six bureaus and 13 offices, the agency provides leadership and financial support to health care providers in every state and U.S. territory. The agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research was established in 1972 to serve as a resource for researchers and educators interested in the basic and applied social and behavioral sciences. As a hub for interdisciplinary research and collaboration, the center promotes a research agenda focused on the social, economic, and health issues most relevant to our society.

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