Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program GWEP: AgingME2

AgingME, the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is a federally funded initiative designed to strengthen the health care workforce and improve quality of care for older adults across Maine. In June 2022 UNE received a continuation award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) — $749,800 for the fourth year of support — as part of an overall five-year, $3.75 million GWEP grant. This funding builds on three years of work establishing a statewide presence through intentional, cross-sector collaboration and a portfolio of community-based programs that equip patients, families, caregivers, and clinicians with knowledge and skills to enhance health outcomes for older adults.

AgingME has partnered with the University of Maine, all five Area Agencies on Aging, Maine Health, Northern Light, and a federally qualified health center to deliver a range of innovative projects. The Maine Academy for Geriatric Interprofessional Continuing Education (MAGIC) is an 18-month program aimed at physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to advance interprofessional geriatric competency. A Dementia Reconsidered series deliberately incorporates the voices of people living with dementia to reshape understanding and care approaches. Writer’s Corner provides a forum for older adults to capture and share personal narratives, strengthening person-centered engagement. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the needs of remote island communities, AgingME developed a Resilience and Self-Care workshop for staff serving communities supported by Seacoast Mission. Project ECHO has been used as a forum for delivering high-quality specialty care to underserved communities, expanding access to expertise. AgingME has also offered a Healthy Aging series at the MacArthur Public Library, bringing education and prevention work directly into the community.

The HRSA continuation award recognizes both the successes achieved in the program’s first three years and the strategic vision for scaling those efforts to create an age-friendly health system statewide. AgingME is presented as an extension of UNECOM’s suite of geriatrics and applied gerontology programs, joining Geriatrics Education Mentors (GEMS), Hospice Immersion, the RAND scholars program, geriatrics research, and the MatureCare community medicine clerkships. These linked programs support UNE’s role as a major state provider of health professionals and reflect a commitment to interprofessional education and partnerships across health, academic, and community organizations.

With this federal support, AgingME aims to continue developing workforce capacity, delivering community-centered programming, and fostering collaborations that advance age-friendly care, improve outcomes for older adults, and strengthen Maine’s network of providers, caregivers, and community supports.