OHSU

Director's Message Share This OHSU Content

Harvath-2010_121x161

A Message from the Director

Theresa A. Harvath, R.N., Ph.D., C.N.S. 

 

Thank you for visiting the OHSU Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence web site.  We hope you will find our website a useful and inspiring resource. 

In these days of changing demographics, a significantly increased population of older adults are living longer than ever before in history. Within the context of a nationwide debate on our health care system and reform strategies, and a shortage of health professionals trained to work with older adults across the spectrum of care, the OHSU Hartford Center is proud to be working to develop the people and skills necessary to care for our aging population. 

According to the Institute of Medicine's 2008 report: Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, the U.S. is facing a dramatic shortage of health care workers, and in addition, the healthcare workforce we do have is not adequately prepared to care for older adults.  Specifically, the Report states that: "Geriatric specialists are needed in all professions not only for their clinical expertise, but also because they will be responsible to train the entire workforce in geriatric principles." 

Current demographic trends estimate a doubling of the number of older adults in the United States between 2005 and 2030.  Today's baby boomers will start to turn 65 in 2011. The goals of the OHSU Hartford Center focus directly on the key areas of need outlined above:

  • increase the number of faculty with specific training in geriatrics/gerontology;
  • expand the amount and quality of geriatric content for training our healthcare workforce, and
  • conduct research to improve care of the older adult population.

On our website, you can browse faculty and student research interests, read about new grants and awards, and learn more about our work to build geriatric nursing capacity.  Our "Programs" page offers information about our formal academic programs, scholarship opportunities and links to application requirements and deadlines.  Please feel free to contact any of our staff, Directors or faculty to learn more about the OHSU Hartford Center.