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About Us

The NW GWEC is a reciprocal partnership between faculty and staff

and community-based organizations in WWAMI and the Aging Network

About Us

Our Mission

We’re a federally funded regional center that conducts inter-professional education and training programs to improve the primary care of older adults in the Northwest United States.

Our mission is to lead the Pacific Northwest in optimizing primary care of older adults through collaborative education, traineeships, client engagement, and enhanced community-clinical linkages.

About Us

Our Values

Collaboration – collaborating with partners in communities and clinical settings and bridging these two worlds.

Client Engagement – fostering knowledge, skill, and confidence of patients (and their family and caregivers) to manage their personal health and care.

Equity – focusing on vulnerable groups (rural, underserved, diverse, and disadvantaged populations) to improve health and reduce disparities amongst older adults.

About Us

Our Goals

  • Develop clinical training environments integrating geriatrics and primary care.
  • Develop providers who can address the needs of older adults.
  • Deliver community-based programs that provide patients, families and care-givers with knowledge and skills to improve health outcomes and quality of care for older adults.
  • Provide Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) education to families, caregivers, direct care workers and health professions students, faculty, and providers.

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 the Geriatric Healthcare Lecture Series as well as administers day-to-day NW GWEC activities.

She/Her

Director of Education

Assistant 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.

He/Him

Co-Director of Education

Associate Professor and Medical Director of UW Post-Acute Care, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, UW and previous GACA recipient. Thuan participates as a panelist as-needed in Project ECHO-Geriatrics sessions.

She/Her

Curriculum Advisor for Pharmacy

Clinical Associate Professor, Dept of Pharmacy; Assistant Director for Education, Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education and Outreach. Leigh Ann is part of our Project ECHO-Geriatrics specialist panel and provides geriatric pharmacotherapy expertise to our NW GWEC activities.

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, UW’s Disability Studies Program, and Affiliate of the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology. Clara will infuse evidence-based social work practices into our NW GWEC educational 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 has an interest 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.

He/Him

Emeritus Co-Director

Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UW School of Medicine. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Northwest Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Center is part of the Division of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine within the School of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW). The UW is an institution committed to promoting respect for the rights and privileges of all, understanding and appreciation of human differences, and the constructive expression of ideas.

We stand in support of the urgent movement to put an end to longstanding racial injustice.  We stand with the University of Washington, UW Medicine, and others to put an end to racial inequities in opportunity, health, well-being, and safety.  We are committed to offering educational activities for a healthcare workforce for older adults that is both diverse and ready to provide culturally competent care that actively and urgently addresses disparities in care. 

We recognize that change starts within each of us and we stand in solidarity with all of those speaking out against racism and are committed to being part of the solution.

Our Partners

Our Primary Care Partners

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Community Partners

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Our Academia Partners

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UW School of Social Work
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