Indian Health Geriatric Scholars Pilot Program

The Alzheimer's Grant Program, a program of the IHS Office of Clinical and Preventive Services (OCPS), Division of Clinical and Community Services (DCCS), invites applications to the 2022 Indian Health Geriatric Scholars (GeriScholars) pilot.

The Indian Health GeriScholars pilot has been developed with the support and collaboration of the VA Office of Rural Health and takes as its model the highly successful VA Geriatric Scholars Program that has built geriatric expertise into the primary care workforce over the past decade.

The Indian Health GeriScholars pilot will provide participating IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health clinicians with an individual intensive learning track for professional continuing education, including:

1. A week-long intensive training in geriatrics from an approved Geriatrics Board Review course
2. A mentored geriatric improvement project at their local facility
3. A clinical practicum or mentorship in geriatric practice
4. Ongoing education, training, and peer support as an Indian Health Geriatric Scholar

In this pilot year, the Indian Health GeriScholars Program will accept at least 8 physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, or pharmacists sponsored by their IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program and will reimburse training at one of the following intensive training courses:

UCLA Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine and Board Review Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

• September 14-17, 2022 with additional half-day (3.5 hours CME/CEU) virtual quality improvement (QI) workshop on September 13.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Intensive Update with Board Review in Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

• September 20-23, 2022 with additional half-day (3.5 hours CME/CEU) virtual QI workshop on September 19. This year all courses are virtual; no travel will be required.

Timeline

• Application Period Opens: July 5, 2022
• Application Period Closes: August 5, 2022
• Notification of provisional acceptance as an Indian Health Geriatric Scholar will occur on a rolling basis, with attention to distribution across the IHS Areas. All Indian Health Geriatric Scholars will be notified by August 8. Commitment to the program, including documentation of enrollment in the intensive training course and accompanying QI workshop, will be expected from the Geriatric Scholar by August 15, 2022.

Application Requirements

Submission of completed Application to IHSDCCS@ihs.gov. The Application includes:

• Endorsement by the CEO of the IHS Service Unit, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program or their designee and the applicant’s clinical supervisor.
• Selection of an approved intensive training course and accompanying QI course.
• Commitment to serve as a local champion for improved care of the elderly and persons living with dementia and their caregivers.

After notification of provisional acceptance as a Geriatric Scholar, the applicant will provide documentation of enrollment in one of the intensive training courses and will register for the accompanying QI workshop.

In this pilot year, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, and pharmacists from IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health programs are eligible to apply. In the future, other disciplines may be eligible.

Individuals with interest in the program are invited to send their application to IHSDCCS@ihs.gov. In the brief application form, applicants will note these requirements:

After you are notified that your application has been provisionally accepted, you will need to enroll directly in one of the two approved training courses, following the usual process for training requests at your IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program.

The training must be approved and initially paid for by your sponsoring IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program. The IHS Division of Clinical and Community Service (DCCS) will work with your IHS Area Office to reimburse your sponsoring program for the registration costs. Do not pay for the registration personally. The IHS DCCS is not able to reimburse you directly for registration costs and can only reimburse your IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program for these costs.

There is no cost associated with the accompanying Quality Improvement Training. After you provide documentation of enrollment in the Intensive Training Course, a registration link for the accompanying QI training will be provided to you by email.

Final acceptance as an Indian Health Scholar is contingent on documentation of enrollment in one of the training courses and registration for the accompanying QI workshop.

1. Who is eligible?

In this pilot year, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, and pharmacists from IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health programs are eligible to apply. In the future, other disciplines may be eligible.

2. How do I apply?

Individuals with interest in the program are invited to send their application to IHSDHHS@ihs.gov. In the brief application form, applicants will note these requirements:

• Endorsement of their participation by their clinical supervisor and the CEO or Health Administrator of their IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program and a commitment by those individuals to support a geriatric improvement project at their facility addressing the care of persons living with dementia and/or their caregivers.
• Selection of one of the two approved intensive training courses and approval for the training.
• A commitment to participate in a free ½ day VA Geriatric quality improvement (QI) workshop that will focus on development of their geriatric improvement project addressing care for persons living with dementia and/or their caregivers.

3. How do I enroll in the required Intensive Training Course and Quality Improvement Course?

After you are notified that your application has been provisionally accepted, you will need to enroll directly in one of the two approved training courses, following the usual process for training requests at your IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program.

The training must be approved and initially paid for by your sponsoring IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program. The IHS Division of Clinical and Community Service (DCCS) will work with your IHS Area Office to reimburse your sponsoring program for the registration costs. Do not pay for the registration personally. The IHS DCCS is not able to reimburse you directly for registration costs and can only reimburse your IHS, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health program for these costs.

There is no cost associated with the accompanying Quality Improvement Training. After you provide documentation of enrollment in the Intensive Training Course, a registration link for the accompanying QI training will be provided to you by email.

Final acceptance as an Indian Health Scholar is contingent on documentation of enrollment in one of the training courses and registration for the accompanying QI workshop.