About Us

Northern New England is already one of the most rapidly aging regions in the United States, and parts of our region will more than double in proportion of individuals over 65 within 15 years.  Geriatric specialists alone will not be able to meet the needs of our older adult population- geriatrics must be embedded into primary care to have sufficient reach.  The purpose of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, part of the NNEGEC, is to advance rural northern New England’s regional capacity to address the healthcare needs of these older adults, and to inform national models for rural geriatric workforce development by evaluating and disseminating the program.  This GWEP is administered through the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging, under the direction of Stephen Bartels, MD, MS and Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN. The Centers for Health and Aging is one of 44 funded organizations in 29 states.  This is a three-year program that started July 1, 2015. 

Working in collaboration with primary care practices across the region, the GWEP will deliver training and support focusing on the following topics:

  • The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit: maximizing the benefit of health risk assessment and preventative care in an efficient and effective way
  • Chronic Care Management: improving outcomes for complex patients with multiple chronic conditions
  • Advanced Care Planning: patient-centered approach to prevent unnecessary or unwanted care and honor the wishes of individuals when they can no longer make health decisions
  • Dementia Care: improving diagnosis and treatment, making appropriate referrals, and supporting caregivers

 

Each practice will identify a group of practice champions, who will receive free training on best practices in each of these areas, as well as how to conduct a Quality Improvement initiative and work effectively in an inter-professional team.  These champions will serve as implementation leads and training faculty for other practice staff.  There will be supplemental training opportunities through CME/CNE programs, free access to the American Geriatrics Societies’ Geriatrics Care Online materials, opportunities for peer learning, and dedicated technical assistance. 

A key component of these practice initiatives is the inclusion of patients and caregivers in the process.  These patients and caregivers will be full partners, providing guidance and insight supporting the co-creation of health for all patients in each practice.  In addition, social service providers will help to inform the process, increasing communication between primary care and social service agencies supporting individual and community health.