New Grants Totaling $6.8 Million Approved by JAHF Board of Trustees at September 2019 Meeting
The John A. Hartford Foundation Board of Trustees has approved funding for three initiatives totaling $6,801,260 to improve care for older adults by integrating Age-Friendly Health Systems principles into a federally funded geriatrics workforce program, supporting journalism coverage of aging and health issues, and increasing access to high-quality, home-based primary care for home-bound older adults.
American Geriatrics Society: Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Coordinating Center, Phase II ($2,631,930 for three years)
This grant supports the development of a primary care workforce that can improve health outcomes for older adults by integrating Age-Friendly Health Systems principles into the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In 2019, HRSA announced its support for 48 GWEP sites, which are partnerships between educational institutions and clinical systems to transform how primary care is delivered to older adults. With this grant funding, the American Geriatrics Society will continue to host a national Coordinating Center to support learning and professional development at the GWEP sites. The Coordinating Center will collaborate with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to facilitate a seven-month Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community for all 48 GWEP teams.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s Kaiser Health News: Highlighting Aging & Health, The Older Adult Reporting Project ($2,594,330 for three years)
This grant will support Kaiser Health News (KHN) to continue a dedicated aging and health reporting desk that will increase awareness and knowledge of older adults’ health care issues among the public, policy makers and health systems. Over 120 articles, two large-scale investigative projects and two events will be produced each year, in addition to consumer-oriented informational resources. KHN has distribution partnerships with The Washington Post, NPR and other media outlets that reach tens of millions of people. The project will benefit from the overall reporting resources of KHN and the polling and research capacities of its parent organization, the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Centered Care Institute, American Academy of Home Care Medicine: Moving and Scaling Home-Based Primary Care Phase II: Quality, Training and Advocacy ($1,575,000 for three years)
This initiative aims to further improve the health of the most frail and vulnerable older adults living in the community by increasing access to high-quality, home-based primary care. Building on the success of the previous phase, three coordinated grants led by three organizations will: expand and enhance a qualified clinical data registry and Learning Collaborative for home-based primary care providers (Massachusetts General Hospital), increase training of clinicians (Home Centered Care Institute), and develop a centralized, comprehensive directory of home-based primary care practices (American Academy of Home Care Medicine). Together, these three coordinated projects will deliver measurably improved care and lead to improved outcomes for home-bound older adults and their caregivers.