USA | Introducing the EMPOWER for Health Act has been strongly supported by the American Geriatrics Society, aimed at highlighting education.
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) said it enthusiastically supported the introduction of the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimising Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) for Health Act (H.R. 4262).
Spearheaded by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) the bill reauthorises workforce training programs under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. Among these initiatives are the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACAs), both of which are critical to the care that all Americans need as our country continues to age.
As Americans live longer, health spans can vary significantly. Many seniors will be diagnosed with chronic diseases as they age, even as research supported by the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) has extended seniors’ collective healthspan. Geriatric health professionals are experts in preventing, delaying, and managing the chronic diseases that impact many Americans 65 and older. Yet, there are too few such practitioners in the U.S. to meet the needs of older Americans.
The GWEP and GACA Programs are the only federal programs designed to address the geriatrics workforce gap through geriatrics training at the community level (GWEP) and increase the number of faculty with geriatrics expertise across disciplines who can integrate geriatrics principles into health professional training (GACA). Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the GWEP and GACA programs are building the geriatrics expertise needed in the primary care, paid caregiver, and family caregiver workforce.
“We commend Representative Schakowsky for her support of the geriatrics workforce training programs and for her ongoing efforts to improve care of older Americans,” said Chief Executive Officer Nancy Lundebjerg, MPA.
“There is an urgent need to increase education and training in geriatrics and gerontology in the primary care and caregiver workforce and the GWEP and GACAs have a record of success in accomplishing this.”
The EMPOWER for Health Act draws considerable insights from the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), a collaborative comprised of more than 30 member organisations co-convened by the AGS. Like EWA itself, the EMPOWER for Health Act now reflects the diverse expertise of millions of health professionals who support older Americans.
“The future we’re working for at the AGS—a future when all older Americans have access to high-quality, person-centred care—begins by building the workforce to make that possible, and by ensuring that workforce can connect us to the tools and supports we need as we age,” concluded Lundebjerg.
“We look forward to a very near future when the EMPOWER for Health Act can make that possible when it becomes law.”
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