GSA change agents initiaitve

Grant Summary

In support of the John A. Hartford Foundation’s new strategic vision to make change in health care practice that improves the health of older adults, the Board of Trustees awarded a three-year, $5,062,819 grant to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) in Washington, D.C., to create the Hartford Change AGEnts Initiative, capitalizing on the strengths, resources, and expertise of the more than 1,000 nurses, social workers, and physicians the Foundation has supported over the past 20 years. GSA will provide the infrastructure and partner with two national leaders in practice change--Laura N. Gitlin, PhD, and Nancy A. Whitelaw, PhD--to create a two-tiered approach. First, Hartford grantees--past, present, and future--will receive support and training to mobilize for action through the development of a Change AGEnts Community. Secondly, small-group, interdisciplinary Change AGEnt Networks will focus on specific priority areas related to improving the health of older adults. The overall initiative will engage, connect, educate and inspire at least 500 Change AGEnts through participation in conferences, Webinars, an AGEnts website, pilot grants, and the practice and policy-focused AGEnts Networks to lead changes in health care delivery that will improve the health of older adults.