OGEC History

Mail Code SN-6S
3455 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd
Portland, OR 97239-2941
Phone: 503 494-3886
Fax: 503 494-4721
OGEC@ohsu.edu
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OGEC History

Our mission -- The mission of the OGEC is to improve care of older adults through the education and training of health care providers in Oregon.

Oregon Geriatric Education Center History

The Oregon Geriatric Education Center (OGEC) was established in October 1989 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions. 

The OGEC began with the involvement of three education and training institutions; Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU), the Portland Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), and Portland State University’s Institute on Aging (PSU).  In 1995 Oregon State University’s Program in Gerontology joined the OGEC consortium. 

The founding director of the OGEC was John R. Walsh, M.D., a pioneer in the field of geriatrics.  As chief of geriatrics for the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Walsh established one of the first geriatric fellowship programs in the United States. 

Today the OGEC is directed by Elizabeth Eckstrom, M.D., Endowed Professor and Director of Geriatrics at OHSU. The OGEC is one of 48 Geriatric Education Centers nationwide.

John Walsh, M. D.

John Walsh, M.D.

Elizabeth Eckstrom
Elizabeth Eckstrom

Statewide Focus

The OGEC has served the State of Oregon for two decades.  The Center’s focus is on educational training and the development of educational resources to improve the care that is delivered to older adults.

The OGEC’s focus:

  • Improve the training of health professionals in geriatrics
  • Develop and disseminate curricula related to the treatment of health problems of older adults
  • Support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in geriatrics
  • Support continuing education of health professionals who provide geriatric care
  • Provide students with clinical training in geriatrics

OGEC consortium members are committed to a concentrated focus on the needs of rural Oregonians who have limited access to physicians.

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This page was updated April 2009.
Please contact the OGEC webmaster if you have any questions about this site.