Advancing Rural Geriatric Services: Lessons From the Veterans Health Administration

Chair(s)

• 

  Emily Franzosa, DrPH, MA (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor
  Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center
  James J Peters VA Medical Center
  Bronx, New York, United States

Co-Chair(s)

• WH

  William Hung, MD MPH

  Physician Investigator
  Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center
  James J Peters VA Medical Center
  James J Peters VA Medical Center, New York, United States

Discussant(s)

• 

  Bret Hicken, PhD (he/him/his)

  Aging Program Manager
  Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Salt Lake City
  VHA Office of Rural Health
  Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• PD

  Porooshat Dadgostar, MPH (she/her/hers)

  Research Assistant
  Public Health Sciences
  University of Rochester
  Rochester, New York, United States
• 

  Lynette Kelley, NP (she/her/hers)

  Research Nurse Practitioner
  GRECC (Geriatrics Research Education Clinical Center)
  Eastern Colorado Health Care System Rocky Mountain Regional VA
  Aurora, Colorado, United States
• 

  Emily Franzosa, DrPH, MA (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor
  Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center
  James J Peters VA Medical Center
  Bronx, New York, United States
• 

  Eileen Dryden, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Research Health Scientist
  Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR)
  Veterans Health Administration
  Bedford, Massachusetts, United States

Almost 3 million rural Veterans receive care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and more than half are 65 and older. But, rural older Veterans may have limited access to specialized, interdisciplinary geriatric care services. VHA’s nationwide system is tasked with supporting Veterans wherever they live, a mission that comes with unique access challenges for Veterans far from VA hospitals or clinics. In a system responsible for managing many priorities and needs, prioritizing rural geriatrics services can be challenging. Our symposium highlights efforts to develop successful strategies for expanding rural geriatrics nationally. First, Dadgostar et al. share results from a project to understand geriatric service needs across VA, with the goal of leveraging data to map areas that could benefit from service expansions. Next, Kelley and colleagues discuss findings from interviews with VHA leaders on how priorities are determined at the local, regional and national level, and how rural geriatrics services fit with leaders’ visions. Franzosa et al. share a rural geriatrics “advocacy field guide” to support geriatrics champions in the field to gain support for local resources. Finally, Dryden et al. share an example from a successful rural geriatrics program, GRECC Connect, and discuss how these implementation lessons can inform the development and scale of new programs. Through the lens of rural geriatrics, this symposium highlights effective strategies for health care leaders to move their priorities ahead within their own systems.

Presentations:

• 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST

  Identifying and Mapping Rural Veterans' Geriatric Needs and Resources
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Porooshat Dadgostar, MPH (she/her/hers) – University of Rochester
• 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST

  “The Hardest Job Is a Hospital Director”: Leadership Perspectives Prioritizing Rural Geriatrics in the VA
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Lynette Kelley, NP (she/her/hers) – Eastern Colorado Health Care System Rocky Mountain Regional VA
• 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST

  The Right Strategy, the Right Person, the Right Time: Developing an Advocacy Field Guide for Rural Geriatrics
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Emily Franzosa, DrPH, MA (she/her/hers) – James J Peters VA Medical Center
• 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST

  A Facilitated Approach to Sustainment Planning for a Rural Geriatrics Program
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Eileen Dryden, PhD (she/her/hers) – Veterans Health Administration