Aug 01, 2010 Washington - U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and
Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02) and
Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced that the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock will
receive a $408,244 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant to
support the Arkansas Geriatric Education Center, which provides continuing
education programs for health care professionals who serve
elderly patients throughout Arkansas.
These programs for health care professionals
are held at more than 80 distance learning sites in Arkansas. The Arkansas
Geriatric Education Center also co-sponsors programs with the Geriatric Research
Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Central Arkansas Veterans
Healthcare System that include distance learning programs for veterans' health care workers in
Arkansas.
Continuing education programs include
conferences and live events, as well as online and video training. HHS funds support training for faculty who teach
students entering health professions, and also support a statewide needs
assessment survey among health professionals conducted by the Arkansas Geriatric
Education Center. The survey is intended to ensure programs are responsive to
the needs of Arkansas health care providers.
"This funding will give Arkansas's doctors, nurses and
other health care workers crucial training that will enhance the quality of care
for seniors and elderly veterans throughout our state," Lincoln said. "Our
nation is suffering from a shortage of geriatrics-trained health professionals
as our population ages, and this shortage is especially pronounced in a rural
state like Arkansas. I have consistently fought for federal funding for the
Arkansas Geriatric Center, and I will continue working to improve and expand
access to health care in Arkansas."
"Continuing education and training programs
help health care professionals learn new methods, use new technology, and adapt
to new challenges in the health care system. These funds will help health care
professionals across the state better serve their elderly patients, reducing
health care costs and improving the quality of life for many Arkansans," Pryor
said.
"I can't say enough about the merits of
continued education for our health care professionals," Berry said. "It's a fact
of life that as we age we will face more health concerns but we can always work
to improve the quality of our health care providers and their ability to serve
the elderly, and I believe this is a great step toward that goal."
"There is a great need for this funding,"
Snyder said. "It is imperative for health care professionals to be prepared to
provide safe and quality care for seniors, especially in our rapidly aging
society. We need to ensure that Arkansas Geriatric Education Center can continue
to keep our health care workers qualified to meet the complex health-care needs
of older adults in Arkansas."
"Our seniors are an important part of the
fabric of our nation and we must ensure they have the best possible care,
nutrition and resources available," Ross said. "I am pleased to help announce
this federal investment because it will help give our seniors greater access to
first-class health care throughout our great state."
"Dr. Chernoff and the Geriatric Education Center have extended the reach of continuing
education for health care professionals across the state, allowing them to learn
the latest techniques for geriatric care without leaving their hometown or
area," said Jeanne Wei, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAMS Reynolds Institute on
Aging and Chairman of the Department of Geriatrics in the UAMS College of
Medicine. "We are especially proud to see this program receive continuous grant funding since 1999, which I think speaks to the
importance and impact of the work being done."
As a rural state, Arkansas faces immense
challenges in its health care delivery system because a high proportion of its
elderly population is low income and has limited access to health care. The
Arkansas Geriatric Center has trained more than 20,000 health professionals in
Arkansas and surrounding states since it was established in 1999, according to
the center. The center's director is Ronni Chernoff, Ph.D., a professor in the
Reynolds Department of Geriatrics of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of
Medicine.
