Progress With Geriatrics Legislation Highlights Collaboration for Care as We Age

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) approves of the U.S. Senate's bipartisan Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act, a bill to guarantee communities across the country can access health professionals and other critical resources, reports EurekaAlert . Introduced by Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), the bill seeks to address the shortfall in health professionals trained to care for seniors, and advances support for older adults, caregivers, and the interprofessional teams that deliver quality care. The measure would formally set up and authorize $45 million in annual funding through 2024 for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, the only federal initiative designed to boost the number of health professionals with the skills and training to care for senior men and women. The bill also would reauthorize the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards, a program that facilitates career development for clinician-educators. "The future we're working for at the AGS — a future when all older Americans have access to high-quality, person-centered care — begins by building the workforce to make that possible, and by ensuring that workforce can connect us to the tools and supports we need as we age," says AGS Chief Executive Nancy E. Lundebjerg. "We commend the bill's sponsors for working with us and our partners to make that future a reality with the Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act. By standing behind this legislation, we're committed to a future when all Americans can look forward to affordable, high-quality, and person-centered care."