Wicked Problem Description:
Primary health care has always been challenged in the field of geriatrics. Geriatric care requires the collective efforts of an interprofessional team adept at navigating the unique needs of the elderly. The state of Hawaii is not equipped to care for our kupuna (elderly) due to a severe shortage of geriatric medical and mental health providers. This shortage is felt strongly on the Neighbor Islands, especially on Hawaii Island. The only formal geriatric training entity is the University of Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.
Project Strategies:
Our project has a 3-pronged approach: 1) Improve community geriatric knowledge via interprofessional tele-education to reach the existing and incoming primary care workforce; 2) Transformation of a traditional rural primary care clinic system into an age-friendly system; 3) Dissemination of training resources, action plans, and other materials to other rural primary care clinics.
