New York (April 27, 2020)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today commended the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) for supporting crucial efforts to enhance the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs (GWEPs). The assistance comes through supplemental funds of $4.35 million for telehealth services as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27, 2020.
In letters to the Administration and Congress regarding the CARES Act, the AGS strongly advocated for including additional funding for the GWEPs, one of the only federal programs supporting training for the workforce we need as we age. Support in response to COVID-19 remains key, as new care delivery models are deployed rapidly through Congress’s COVID-19 relief packages.
The $4.35 million for telehealth provides for funds to be distributed among GWEP grantees to:
- Train students and clinicians currently involved in health profession education on telehealth-enabled COVID-19 screening and testing, case management, and outpatient care; and
- Maintain primary care functionality away from physical sites, especially for people who test positive for COVID-19, as well as those who are quarantined, older, or part of special populations.
The AGS continues to advocate for 2021 appropriations totaling $51 million for Title VII Geriatrics Health Professions Programs like the GWEPs, which would do much to close the current geographic and demographic gaps in geriatrics workforce training. In its most recent letters to Congress and the Administration, the AGS requested supplemental funding totaling $10.99 million for the GWEPs and Geriatrics Academic Career Award (GACA) recipients, who also are on the frontlines of caring for older Americans during the COVID19 crisis.
“These programs educate and engage the broader frontline workforce, including family caregivers, and focus on improving the quality of care delivered to older adults,” noted Nancy Lundebjerg, MPA, AGS CEO. “They should be fully funded at $51 million during the annual appropriations process, and Congress should include supplemental funding totaling $10.99 million specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will support the critical role that GWEPs and GACAs have in preparing frontline health professionals to care for older Americans.”
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has—for 75 years—worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.