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Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

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Eastern Colorado GRECC

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Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center


The goal of Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (EC-GRECC) is to improve the health of older Veterans through the development of innovative research, clinical and educational initiatives. We focus our training efforts on translating existing and new geriatrics knowledge and skills into clinical practice at the local, regional, and national levels. These efforts build on the substantial geriatrics educational and training activities at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and leverage important resources from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

CU Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging
Inaugural Geriatrics & Aging Research Symposium

Thursday, October 26, 2023
9AM - 6PM
Hosted at: CU Anschutz Health & Sciences Elliman Conference Center

You know the clinical side of your doctor, what about the research that they are involved with some of the country’s top scientists? The Inaugural Geriatrics and Aging Symposium gives campus and community an opportunity to come together and hear from some of the top researchers showcasing their latest advances in aging health and wellness. Presentations will be rapid, practical, and timely so all attendees can walk away with new knowledge and tips to better understand how to age in a healthier way.

Mark your calendars to attend, as this is a unique Symposium opportunity to bring community members, service providers, academics, clinicians, researchers, and industry together for an enlightening exchange of new updates in Aging.

Register for the Geriatrics & Aging Research Symposium

August 2023 - The Caregiver's Corner

This month's Caregiver's Corner is up a little late but there are still a few exciting events for you:

Also, download the August 2023 - The Caregiver's Corner newsletter to learn about changes to My HealtheVet and Nutrition & Diabetes Support Group every third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. MT.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - 19th Annual Rocky Mountain Geriatrics Conference

Building Resilience in Aging: Perspectives for Patients, Care Partners, and Communities

Snowbird Resort, Utah
September 26-27, 2023

We invite professionals across health care disciplines and geriatric fields to join us to learn about cutting edge research and interventions to build resiliency amongst patients, care partners, and clinicians and to address the complex needs of older adults with aging related conditions.

Participants will leave the conference with practical tools to provide and optimize safe, effective, and patient-centered care. They will discover how to operationalize and integrate best practices and emerging research findings into health systems to identify the goals of patients, promote physical function, address cognitive health, and to provide care partners connections to VA and community health systems support and resources. They also will learn about system-level and policy factors related to resilience in aging.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Luci Leykum, MD, MBA, MSC, Director, VA Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research
  • Heather E. Whitson, MD, MHS, Director, Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
  • Kevin Duff, PhD, Professor of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University

Visit the conference website

An Age-Friendly Health System - Committed to Care Excellence


Age-friendly health systems is a movement of hundreds of health care facilities committed to ensuring that all older adults receive evidence-based care. This means that Eastern Colorado GRECC is working towards reliable practice of evidence-based interventions for all older adults in their care known as the 4-Ms (What Matters, Medications, Mentation, Mobility).

In that effort, the Tele-Dementia/Geriatrics and Tele-Palliative Care Clinics have been recognized as Level 2 Committed to Care Excellence of the nationwide age-friendly health systems movement. These clinics now have three months of verified data to demonstrate early impact of using the 4-Ms Framework:

  1. What Matters - Know and align care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across care settings.
  2. Medication - If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medications that does not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across care settings.
  3. Mentation - Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across care settings.
  4. Mobility - Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do What Matters.

Leadership Team

Wendy M. Kohrt, PhD
Title:Acting EC GRECC Director
Contact: wendy.kohrt@cuanschutz.edu
 
Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, PT PhD
Title: Associate Director for Research
Contact: jennifer.stevens-lapsley@cuanschutz.edu
 
Kathryn Nearing, PhD, MA
Title: Associate director education and evaluation and founder, coordinator and facilitator of the Older Veteran Engagement Team
Contact: kathryn.nearing@cuanschutz.edu
 
Lauren Abbate, MD PhD
Title:
Associate Director Clinical
Contact: lauren.abbate@cuanschutz.edu | lauren.abbate@va.gov
 
Elizabeth Juarez-Colunga, PhD
Title: Associate Director, Informatics
Contact:
 

Administrative Team

Eric Qualls - Administrative officer
Phone: 720-788-6733
Email: alfred.qualls@va.gov

Norma Rogers - Administrative support assistant
Email: Norma.Rogers@va.gov

Research Core


The research of Eastern Colorado GRECC focuses on:

  • Consequences and treatments of obesity in older adults
  • Gender differences in health (focusing on women’s health)

Learn more about our Research Core and additional areas of research.

Education Core


The Eastern Colorado GRECC focuses its training efforts on translating existing and new geriatrics knowledge and skills into clinical practice at the local, regional and national levels. These efforts build on the substantial geriatrics educational and training activities at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and leverage important resources from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Learn more about our Education Core and opportunities.

Clinical Core


Eastern Colorado GRECC is a hub of clinical innovation committed to creating systems of support for Veterans as they age and across the continuum of care, regardless of geography. We participate in national clinical dissemination projects, including GRECC Connect and Gerofit.

Learn more about our Clinical Core and GRECC Connect and Gerofit.

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