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About Us
The NW GWEC fosters reciprocal partnerships among University of Washington departments -including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, and Public Health- alongside primary care providers and community-based organizations throughout
the Pacific Northwest
Our Mission
We’re one of over 40 Geriatric Workforce Enhance Programs (GWEPs) nationwide dedicated to advancing interprofessional education and training programs to improve the care of older adults.
Our mission is to lead the Pacific Northwest in optimizing the care of older adults through collaborative education, hands-on traineeships, active client engagement, and strengthened community-clinical linkages.
Our Values
Collaboration – building strong, reciproal partnerships across community and clinical settings to integrate the care of older adults.
Client Engagement – empowering older adults, their families, and care partners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to actively manage their health and healthcare decisions.
Age-Friendly Care – Advancing person-centered care for vulnerable populations- including rural, underserved, tribal- to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities.
Our Goals
- Transform clinical training environments into integrated geriatrics and primary care systems that are both age-friendly and dementia-capable.
- Deliver interprofessional geriatrics clinical training and education to students, residents, fellows, faculty, and preceptors-particularly in tribal, rural, and underserved settings.
- Equip the supportive care workforce, direct care, and primary care workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality care to older adults-particularly those living with dementia.
Our Team
She/Her
Project Director
Professor of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, at the UW School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Health Services and founding Director of the Fall Prevention Clinic at Harborview Medical Center. Elizabeth leads and directs the NW GWEC.
She/Her
Co-Director
Professor Emeritus, Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, UW School of Nursing. Barbara leads our nursing activities as well as administers day-to-day NW GWEC activities.
She/Her
Director of Education
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Program Director for the UW Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, and GACA recipient. Kate is the Medical Director for Project ECHO-Geriatrics and directs the curriculum of all of our NW GWEC activities.
She/Her
Pharmacy Lead
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy; Assistant Director for Education, Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education and Outreach. Leigh Ann is a panelist on our Project ECHO-Geriatrics and provides geriatric pharmacotherapy expertise to our NW GWEC activities.
She/Her
Age-Friendly Outreach Coordinator
Clinical Professor,
Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, Instructor, Continuum
College. Anita will outreach to tribal, underserved, and rural healthcare settings to support their efforts in achieving age-friendly recognition.
She/Her
Curriculum Advisor for Social Work
Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Adjunct faculty in the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, and Disability Studies Program. Clara will infuse evidence-based social work practices into our NW GWEC activities.
She/Her
Program Manager
Aimee earned her MPH from the UW’s Health Services Social and Behavioral Sciences Program and has over 20 years of experience at the UW. She is interested in improving the health and well-being of older adults and their caregivers. Aimee is the day-to-day manager of all NW GWEC activities.
She/Her
Program Coordinator
Jamie earned her MSW from UW’s School of Social Work and has experience coordinating continuing education activities and working with students and faculty. She is interested in improving the ways we care for older adults. Jamie coordinates details across NW GWEC activities.
Our Focus
The Northwest Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Center will address social determinants of health (e.g., economic insecurity, nutritional insecurity, social isolation, limited healthcare access and quality) by promoting community-clinical linkages and providing support for age- and dementia-friendly education and training activities for the primary care and geriatrics health care workforces that are in tribal, tribal organizations, medically underserved, or rural settings.
Our Reciprocal Partners
