University of Cincinnati/Health Alliance Reynolds Physician Geriatrics Training Center

In 2003, the University of Cincinnati was awarded a four-year $2 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to expand geriatric medicine education.  The University of Cincinnati project primarily focuses on strengthening the geriatrics training of its residents and community-based physicians. New required curricula is being developed to reach 150 general internal medicine residents and 92 residents in family medicine, psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, emergency medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. In addition to the new curricula,  residents will have a series of standardized encounters with simulated patients. Most of the curriculum development will be done by 14 clinician-educator faculty in the relevant departments who will be given special training as Geriatric Medicine Faculty Scholars. UC had already integrated geriatrics into its medical school curriculum. The Reynolds support has allowed UC to build on that strength to develop a new four-year, integrated, longitudinal geriatrics enrichment experience for 32 medical students. The project has also developed an innovative approach to strengthening practicing physicians’ training in geriatrics. A team of geriatrics experts will visit physicians in their offices, providing training on specific topics, and introducing office organization strategies that can help improve care of older patients.

More details on UC Reynolds Center activities can be found in the pre doctoral, residency, and continuing medical education sections of  the UC Geriatrics WEB site.