Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
Aug. 10, 2001
CHARLESTON, SC - Improving the quality of life for older South Carolinians is the aim of a project which just received $1.25 million federal funding. The five-year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant to the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will establish the South Carolina Geriatric Education Center.
The center, under the direction of Esther M. Forti, Ph.D., R.N. a rural health specialist and assistant professor at MUSC, will develop, expand, and sustain collaborative efforts across the state to provide educational and training programs in geriatrics and gerontology for faculty, students, and practicing health and social services providers. To achieve this, the center has established formal collaborations with various colleges at the Medical University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium, the University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University, and South Carolina State University.
"South Carolina must train its health professionals in geriatrics in order to meet the increasing needs of the state's growing elderly population," said MUSC president Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D. "The South Carolina Geriatric Education Center will partner universities with communities so that education and training in aging issues can take place at the grass roots level across the state. This will become a model for geriatric training in South Carolina as well as for the nation."
Activities of the center will include developing a web page that will be a clearinghouse with links to other aging resources throughout the state and nation, designing an aging health career program for minority high school students, delivering regional rural community
forums on aging issues with a statewide aging summit, and creating Internet-based courses for a statewide certificate program in geriatrics and gerontology. There will be an emphasis on health promotion, mental health, diversity and ethnogeriatrics, end-of-life and palliative care, and outreach to rural and medically underserved. The project's theme is "Healthy Aging: Preparing for the Best to Come!"
"Each collaborating organization will bring unique strengths, expertise, and established educational programs to the center," said Danielle Ripich, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Professions and co-director of the new center. "Our activities will promote the values of diversity and cultural competency, professional ethics, lifelong learning, and outreach to rural and medically underserved communities."
Given the rural nature of South Carolina, the program's emphasis on distance education will enable more providers to become current with major issues relating to caring for older adults. It will do it in a cost efficient manner. With decreases in funding streams, collaboration among universities and service agencies allows for shared resources.
"As we experience an increase in our older adult population, this is a golden opportunity to prepare our health and social services providers with training and education to enhance the quality of life of older South Carolinians," said Forti.
Community-academic partners participating in the new center include the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Senior Services, the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association and its community health center members, the Department of Social Services-Adult Protective Services, the South Carolina Center for Gerontology, community mental health centers, the state Office of Rural Health, Area Agencies on Aging, the state Office of Minority Health, Alzheimer's Association chapters, Councils on Aging, the South Carolina Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center, and the South Carolina DHEC-Diabetes Control Program.
Other universities and community agencies in South Carolina have expressed interest in participating in the project. Consortia members and participating organizations will have representation on the statewide Geriatric Education Advisory Council which will provide recommendations to the center. The South Carolina Geriatric Education Center will be located in the MUSC College of Health Professions, Office of Research, located at Harborview Office Tower. For more information, call 843-792-2419.
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