Bipartisan Workforce Legislation Passes House; Expands Federal Geriatrics Training Programs

Last week the House of Representatives passed legislation—the EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781)—that would reauthorize federal geriatrics workforce programs. The bill was introduced by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Michael C. Burgess (R-TX); it reauthorizes many workforce programs under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act, including geriatrics.

The bill would ensure communities across the United States have access to health professionals and other critical supports to improve care for our aging population. With bipartisan support, swift passage of the bill would take a significant step toward training and supporting a health care workforce empowered to improve the quality of care for older adults. The Society, through its membership in the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), supports the EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 because it expands the only federal geriatrics training program.

This bipartisan bill supports two critical objectives for geriatrics workforce programs. First, it would formally establish funding for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). Second, it would reestablish the Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACAs), a previously funded program for developing clinician-educators. By supporting the GWEP and the GACAs, the bill would:

·         Foster education and engagement with family caregivers by training providers who can assess and address their care needs and preferences

·         Promote interdisciplinary team-based care by transforming clinical training environments to integrate geriatrics and primary care delivery systems

·         Improve the quality of care delivered to older adults by providing education to families and caregivers on critical care challenges like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

·         Reach underserved and rural communities by ensuring clinician-educators are prepared to train the geriatrics workforce of today and tomorrow

Click here to access the Societies Grassroots Network to ask your elected officials to continue to support Geriatric Workforce Education.