{"id":65597,"date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2019\/07\/23\/unmc-receives-3-7-million-grant-to-address-shortage-of-geriatricians\/"},"modified":"2022-09-02T17:10:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T22:10:30","slug":"unmc-receives-3-7-million-grant-to-address-shortage-of-geriatricians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2019\/07\/23\/unmc-receives-3-7-million-grant-to-address-shortage-of-geriatricians\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC receives $3.7 million grant to address shortage of geriatricians"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nJane Potter, M.D.<\/span>
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One way to solve a looming estimated shortage of 27,000 geriatricians — physicians who specialize in care of older adults — is to expand the access of primary care professionals to resources that assist them in addressing the unique and complex health issues of older adults.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) estimates a need for 33,200 geriatricians in the U.S. by 2025, but current projections estimate the supply at 6,230, a deficit of about 27,000.<\/p>\n

Thanks to a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), UNMC is poised to address this problem.<\/p>\n

Spearheaded by Jane Potter, M.D., professor in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine, the goal is to improve the health and health outcomes of older adults in Nebraska by educating teams of health providers in primary care settings to benefit patients, their families and caregivers.<\/p>\n

“Almost all care for older adults occurs in primary care settings,” Dr. Potter said. “This grant will help create systems that integrate approaches to the special care of older patients. Health issues in older people are more complex, and a lot of training in medicine currently is not focused on issues important for older adults. As the population continues to grow and age, it is imperative that we help primary care teams fill the knowledge gap.”<\/p>\n

The grant will provide education to teams in primary care using a medical home (PCMH) model. PCMHs use a team of health care providers — including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, mental health professionals and social workers — to care for patients as a team when they’re sick, but also keep them well.<\/p>\n

The grant also includes: <\/p>\n