FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
Academic Geriatrics Recruitment Initiative
1988-1992 An expert committee convened by the Hartford Foundation in 1987 produced an Institute of Medicine report calling for increased training in geriatrics and the establishment of centers of excellence at schools of medicine to develop the capacity to train academic leaders in geriatrics.
In response, the Foundation created the Academic Geriatrics Recruitment Initiative (AGRI), which provided $6.4 million to 10 medical schools that had demonstrated expertise in geriatrics to recruit and train faculty and fellows for research related to geriatrics. In 1991, the program expanded to 13 medical centers.
The centers of excellence concept became a powerful tool for faculty development in geriatrics. The program expanded several times, eventually becoming the Hartford Centers of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine and Training program with 28 academic institutions supporting the development of hundreds of geriatric scholars (Centers of Excellence). In 2000, the centers of excellence concept was also applied to the geriatric nursing program (BAGNC).
(Top) AGRI aimed to increase training in geriatrics and led to the establishment of centers of excellence in geriatric medicine.(Below) William R. Hazzard, MD, a pioneer in geriatric medicine, helped to create and lead several Hartford Foundation initiatives.
“I believe there should be an academic specialty of geriatrics in our medical schools, not only for education and research, but also for fellowship training. Coupled with that I would like to see in nearly all specialties some practitioners who have a special interest in the problems of the elderly, particularly in internal medicine and such surgical fields as orthopedics and ophthalmology.”
Paul B. Beeson, MDProfessor of Medicine
University of Washington
Distinguished Physician
U.S. Veterans Administration, Seattle
(Above) Participants of the 1999 Geriatric Education Retreat for geriatrics and general internal medicine. (Standing) Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH; William J. Hall, MD; Christine K. Cassel, MD; (Seated) Terri “Fox” Wetle, PhD; Kenneth Brummel-Smith, MD; Richard W. Besdine, MD; Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA; William R. Hazzard, MD.