FSU College of Medicine 2018 annual report 2019 Annual Report | Page 45

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CARING FOR OLD FLORIDA
With the addition of a five-year, $3.75 million grant in June
The College of Medicine is working to develop training
workforce is defined very broadly, and we’re working
2019, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration and resources for a wide range of health-care professionals to with everyone from home health workers to faith-based
has awarded the Department of Geriatrics $6.75 million since combat the shortage of geriatricians. caregivers, PAs, nurses, physicians, health educators, and
2015 to help improve the health of older adults in Florida.
As of 2018, the U.S. had fewer than 3,600 full-time practicing
“What’s unique about this grant is that it highlights
interprofessional care and all the different pieces it takes to
geriatricians and 49.2 million older adults. The demand is holistically care for older adults,” said Nicolette Castagna,
especially high in Florida, a state that had only 404 geriatricians coordinator of North and Central Florida GWEP. “The
in 2017 – or roughly one for every 10,000 people over 65.
The HRSA grants the department has received are part of
the national Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.
The goal of GWEP is to better equip the workforce to
address the often-complex health-care needs of older adults.
Many efforts focus on preventing falls, reconciling and
reducing medications, and communicating effectively with
older patients and their families.
Lisa Granville, associate chair of the Department of
Geriatrics and co-principal investigator of GWEP, said the
program is well positioned to strengthen geriatrics-care
knowledge and collaboration across Florida’s workforce to
improve support within communities as people age.
“Many people talk about the aging population and the
concerns coming in the future. However, as the state with
the highest percentage of older adults, Florida is already
working on solutions,” Granville said. “It’s a privilege to have
the opportunity to broadly explore strategies for enhancing
the health of older adults.”
assisted-living residents and their families.”
GWEP’s projects also focus on maximizing patient and family
engagement and integrating primary care and geriatrics.