Agents of Change: Geriatrics Workforce Programs Addressing Systemic Racism and Health Equity

Barbara A Gordon; Lilian Azer; Katherine Bennett; Linda S Edelman; Monica Long; Anna Goroncy; Charles Alexander; Jung-Ah Lee; Rosellen Rosich; Jennifer J Severance

doi:10.1093/geront/gnae038

Agents of Change: Geriatrics Workforce Programs Addressing Systemic Racism and Health Equity

Gerontologist. 2024 Apr 26:gnae038. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnae038. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ University of Louisville Trager Institute Optimal Aging Clinic, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
² Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
³ Division of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁴ College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
⁵ Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, Share Network, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
⁶ College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
⁷ School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
⁸ Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
⁹ Department of Psychology, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

PMID: 38666608
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnae038

Abstract

Many factors impact how individuals and populations age, including race, ethnicity and diversity, which can contribute to increased disease risk, less access to quality health care, and increased morbidity and mortality. Systemic racism - set of institutional policies and practices within a society or organization that perpetuate racial inequalities and discrimination - contributes to health inequities of vulnerable populations, particularly older adults. The National Association of Geriatrics Educators (NAGE) recognizes the need to address and eliminate racial disparities in healthcare access and outcomes for older adults who are marginalized due to the intersection of race and age. In this paper, we discuss an anti-racist framework that can be used to identify where an organization is on a continuum to becoming anti-racist and to address organizational change. Examples of NAGE member Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs (GWEPS) and Geriatrics Academic Care Awardees (GACA) activities to become anti-racist are provided to illustrate the framework and to guide other workforce development programs and healthcare institutions as they embark on the continuum to become anti-racist and improve the care and health of vulnerable older adults.

Keywords: Age-Friendly Health Systems; anti-racism; health inequities; workforce development.

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