HSC Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program
Program Summary
The University of North Texas Health Science Center was awarded a five-year, $5 million grant in July 2024 from the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program called the Workforce Enhancement in Healthy Aging and Independent Living (WE HAIL). The WE HAIL Collaborative is one of 42 federally funded GWEP programs nationwide advancing training for primary care, nursing home, direct care, and supportive care workforces to improve age-friendly and dementia-friendly care for older adults across the care continuum and in vulnerable tribal, rural and other underserved communities in Texas and Oklahoma.
Purpose and Goals
- Develop reciprocal relationships
- Provide interprofessional geriatrics clinical training and education
- Establish and/or maintain education and training programs
Collaborating Partners
The WE HAIL Collaborative is a regional network of health professional schools and training programs, community partners, and primary care delivery systems with a shared commitment to transforming health resources and services and improving health equity through workforce education and training. Additionally, a Community Advisory Council of volunteer older adults, caregivers, and advocates provide their input and feedback to ensure that training reflects the needs and preferences of targeted communities.
Through the combined experience, expertise, and reach of its partners, the WE HAIL Collaborative will create innovative and sustainable models of training that integrate geriatrics into primary care and increase access to patient-centered and interdisciplinary care.
Academic Partners
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Primary Care & Nursing Home Partners
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Community Partners
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UNTHSC Internal Partners
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Office of Graduate Medical Education
HSC Health Clinical Practice Group
Correctional Medicine Department
College of Nursing
College of Public Health
Community Health Worker Training Center
Division of Academic Innovation
Regional Simulation Lab
HSC GWEP develops education and training for individuals and organizations providing care for older adults, including:
Health professions students and resident physicians
These projects will enhance clinical training for medical, nursing, and other health professions students as well as resident physicians, fellows, faculty and preceptors
- Longitudinal geriatrics training for medical students provides immersive simulated experiences, service learning opportunities, and gaming experiences embedded in interprofessional clinical training.
- Dementia training for nursing students will enhance their knowledge and reduce stigma while supporting people living with dementia in the community.
- Rural clinical training for medical students including clinical experiences in different settings of care and peer mentoring will prepare students to address the primary care needs of older adults in rural communities.
- Geriatrics ECHO will disseminate best practices in age-friendly and dementia-friendly care for older adults in tribal, rural and other underserved communities.
Practitioners and health care teams
The following training projects will be available for interprofessional teams at federally-qualified community health centers, correctional medical facilities, nursing homes and other primary care sites and delivery systems.
- Continuing education modules will support individual, self-paced learning in age-friendly and dementia friendly care.
- Tele-mentoring with a quality improvement specialist will guide primary care teams in applying age-friendly and dementia-friendly care to their unique setting.
- Quality improvement projects will provide opportunities for teams to assess and adapt care processes using best practices in age-friendly care. Trainees can use these projects to gain the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Health System national designation.
Training for Community Education
These projects establish and maintain training and education for support, direct care, and primary care workforces.
- Dementia Specialist Certification for certified nursing assistants and supportive care workers providing enhanced dementia training and building a career pathway.
- Age-friendly and dementia-friendly training that equips community health educators (CHWs, community paramedics, others) to provide support in rural and underserved areas.
WE HAIL is an ambitious, multi-project, multi-partner program that relies on the expertise of numerous staff, including educators, health care providers, project leads, subject matter experts and administrative support from within and without HSC.
Meet the Team
HSC GWEP Leadership and Administrative Team
JENNIFER SEVERANCE, PHD |
SARAH ROSS, MS, DO |
SARA MURPHY, PHD |
SUSANNA LUK-JONES, MS |
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JANICE KNEBL, DO |
BRITTANY LOVE, DO |
KATE TAYLOR, DNP |
DIANA CERVANTES, MS DRPH |
KERI CHRISTENSEN, PHD |
LISA BUCK, MA |
Subject Matter Experts
RYAN CHOUDHURY, MD |
KATHLENE CAMP, PT, DPT |
ANDREW CROCKER, MS |
LESCA HADLEY, MD |
CHERYL HARDING, PHD |
JANET JOWITT, RN, MSN |
LAURA McENTIRE, LCSW |
SHAKITA JOHNSON, ESQ, LBSW |
DESIREE PARTAIN, MHA |
JACOB ROGERS, PHARMD |
TERESA WAGNER, DRPH, MS |
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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U1QHP53050. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Health Resources and Services Administration or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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