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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
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.
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.
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.
She/Her
Pharmacy Lead
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
Age-Friendly Outreach Coordinator
Clinical Associate Professor,
Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing and Instructor, Continuum
College Certificate Program in Gerontology. Anita will outreach to Tribal & Tribal Organizations, underserved, and rural locations to engage participation in age- and dementia-friendly education and training opportunities and facilitate acheivement of 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, 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 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.
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
Community Partners
Our Academia Partners
