Conclusion
A Call for Leadership in Aging
A Leadership Charge for Individuals, Organizations, and Funders
As presented throughout this annual report, the Hartford Foundation, along with its partners, has learned important lessons about cultivating leaders who will be prepared to bring about system-wide change to improve health care for older Americans.
First and foremost, leadership is a skill that can and must be taught and nurtured. It is essential to identify and recruit skilled health care professionals and then provide the formal training, mentorship, and supportive peer network to transform caring and committed individuals into influential geriatrics leaders who have the knowledge, self assurance, and vision to shape their profession and the entire field of health care.
Significant progress has been made over the past decades in raising the visibility of geriatrics through the dedicated efforts of many individuals, organizations, and funders. But this work is not finished.
Thanks are due to the numerous individual leaders in geriatric nursing, social work, and medicine who blazed a trail that others must now follow. These leaders, many of whom we have been privileged to support, have created a vision of improved health care for older Americans and helped build the research base, educational infrastructure, and workforce that will be needed to make it reality.
Individual leaders must continue to seize opportunities and mobilize others. They must lead while simultaneously preparing successive generations of leaders. They pass on the mantle of leadership through mentoring, teaching, and acting as role models.
We thank those funders who have created innovative leadership development initiatives. The Hartford Foundation appreciates the many partners, both foundations and organizations, who have shared the vision of improving care for older adults by investing in tomorrow’s leaders. These efforts must continue in order to meet the needs of our aging society. Foundations and other organizations must identify health care professionals with leadership qualities and provide them with the tools and encouragement to fulfill their potential.
The Institute of Medicine in its report, Retooling for an Aging America, issued a clear call to action that must not be ignored. The reality of an increasing aging population is here and meaningful solutions to health care delivery must be implemented. “The nation needs to move quickly and efficiently to make certain that the health care workforce increases in size and has the proper education and training to handle the needs of a new generation of older Americans,” concludes the report.
Leadership in geriatrics is urgently needed. We invite you to join the Hartford Foundation and its partners who have heard the call and are working with talented individuals and organizations to bring about much-needed change.