Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Eastern Colorado GRECC Team
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Kathryn Nearing, PhD, MA
Title: Associate Director Education and Evaluation and Founder, Coordinator and Facilitator of the Older Veteran Engagement Team; Assistant Professor, Geriatric Medicine
Contact: kathryn.nearing@cuanschutz.edu
University of Colorado Multidisciplinary Center on Aging webpage
Personal Statement
Kathryn A. Nearing, PhD, MA, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Center on Aging; and, Associate Director for Education and Evaluation for the Eastern Colorado GRECC. Areas of expertise include health services research, including dissemination and implementation science; research translation, including health systems change in response to clinical innovation; community-based participatory research and stakeholder engagement; and, education, training and career development, including clinical and translational research mentorship and leadership development.
Research Interest
Research Interest
Dr. Nearing brings over 20 years of experience designing and implementing large-scale evaluations in the fields of clinical and translational research, public health and education (including medical education). Dr. Nearing previously served as the lead evaluator for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and the Eastern Colorado GRECC. The evaluation of the NIH-supported CCTSI examined how the institute catalyzed research across the translational spectrum and life course, with a focus on the mission-critical aspects of education, training and career development; regulatory processes/science; providing high-quality, cost-effective research resources and services to meet prioritized needs; and, stakeholder engagement. In this role, Dr. Nearing applied quantitative and qualitative research expertise, acquired through training as a medical and applied anthropologist and health and behavioral scientist; workflow and social network analysis; and, quality and process improvement to support specific pillars of the CCTSI.
As Associate Director for Education and Evaluation for the Eastern Colorado GRECC, Dr. Nearing leads the education, training and career development component, of which there are currently 16 trainees representing five disciplines and eight core didactic/training opportunities offered routinely with local, regional and national reach. Dr. Nearing coordinates and facilitates the Older Veteran Engagement Team – a group of older Veterans and caregivers who provide feedback and input on research and clinical and community-based services focused on older Veterans. She also actively mentors trainees and GRECC Advanced Research Fellows.
Older Veteran Engagement Team (OVET)
The GRECC has three components: research, clinical demonstration projects and workforce development. To ensure that the voice of those the GRECC hopes to serve informs this work, the GRECC established an Older Veteran Engagement Team (OVET). OVET members are older Veterans and caregivers of older Veterans. OVET engages a diverse group that collectively brings a variety of life and military experiences to bear on issues of importance to aging Veterans and caregivers. OVET meets monthly (3rd Wednesday, 10-12 at the Colorado State Vets Home) and is a resource to investigators, providers and trainees who are interested in receiving feedback and input from older Veterans and caregivers regarding some aspect of a quality improvement, education or research project.
The following images visualize Dr. Nearing's work. The word cloud is drawn from publication titles. The research collaboration map shows research relationships (click the image to enlarge):
| Publications | Grants |
|---|---|
| Clinical Research | Aging |
| Aging | Clinical Research |
| Health Services | Prevention |
| Behavioral and Social Science | Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities |
| Rural Health | |
| Prevention | |
| Acquired Cognitive Impairment | |
| Brain Disorders | |
| Dementia | |
| Alzheimer's Disease |
Grants & Funding
Workforce Development Engages Diverse Older Adults to Catalyze Innovative Approaches for Enhanced Recruitment and Retention
We will recruit, train and hire diverse older adults into paid positions as research specialists. They are part of the enhanced clinical research infrastructure, which will help catalyze innovative solutions to mitigate existing cultural divides between potential study participants and research professionals caused by differences in age, socio-economic status, education levels, rural versus urban locality, and health literacy.
Leveraging this enhanced capacity, we will host Research Roadshow events to engage diverse older adults throughout rural/frontier communities in Colorado, providing fun, experiential opportunities to engage with research and research teams.
We will promote enduring connections with diverse communities through expanded community outreach and engagement programming, enhanced facilitation of the informed consent process, and tailored communication strategies.
Investigator: Kathryn Nearing
Funder: National Institute on Aging
NIH website
Recent Publications
2024
Swink LA, Thornton WA, Nearing KA, Manago MM. A qualitative study of low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction in people with advanced multiple sclerosis. Physiother Theory Pract. 2024 Apr 15:1-10. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2341993. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 38616662.
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Nearing KA, Dryden EM, Pimentel CB, Kernan LM, Hartz S, Kelley L, Hung WW, Kennedy MA, Moo LR. (2024). Can telemedicine reach rural, older veterans on the edge of or caught in the digital divide? – Unique considerations for two distinct populations. Cogent Gerontology, 3(1).
https://doi.org/10.1080/28324897.2024.2336899.
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Dryden EM, Anwar C, Conti J, Boudreau JH, Kennedy MA, Hung WW, Nearing KA, Pimentel CB, Moo L. The Development and Use of a New Visual Tool (REVISIT) to Support Participant Recall: Web-Based Interview Study Among Older Adults. JMIR Form Res. 2024 Feb 1;8:e52096. doi: 10.2196/52096.
PMID: 38300691.
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2023
Pimentel CB, Dryden EM, Nearing KA, Kernan LM, Kennedy MA, Hung WW, Riley J, Moo LR. The role of Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics in enhancing rural access to geriatrics telemedicine specialty care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Nov 30. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18703. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 38032320.
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Rauzi MR, Mealer ML, Abbate LM, Stevens-Lapsley JE, Nearing KA. Older Veterans' Experiences of a Multicomponent Telehealth Program: Qualitative Program Evaluation Study. JMIR Form Res. 2023 Sep 8;7:e46081. doi: 10.2196/46081.
PMID: 37682595.
2022
Prater LC, Simonetti JA, Knoepke CE, Polzer ER, Nearing KA, Lee T, Betz ME. Older adults and planning for firearm safety: A qualitative study of healthcare providers. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Dec 22. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18188. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36550590.
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Betz ME, Polzer ER, Knoepke CE, Prater LC, Simonetti JA, Lee TM, Meador LE, Nearing KA. Cars, Guns, Aging, and "Giving Up the Keys". Gerontologist. 2022 Nov 16:gnac142. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnac142. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36383376.
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Dryden EM, Kennedy MA, Conti J, Boudreau JH, Anwar CP, Nearing K, Pimentel CB, Hung WW, Moo LR. Perceived benefits of geriatric specialty telemedicine among rural patients and caregivers. Health Serv Res. 2022 Aug 31. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14055. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36054487.
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Nearing KA, Adams HM, Alsphaugh J, Douglas SE, Feller TR, Fleak R, Moore V, Martin-Sanders S, Schultz TM, Stratton K, Sullivan JP, Van Sickle L, Yates JD, Yates TA, Matlock DD. Engaging the Wisdom of Older Veterans to Enhance VA Healthcare, Research, and Services. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Mar 29:1–11. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07076-x. Epub ahead of print. PMCID: PMC8960672.
PMID: 35349016.
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Gustavson AM, LeDoux CV, Himawan M, Stevens-Lapsley JE, Nearing KA. Implementation of a rehabilitation model in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Preliminary data. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Feb 4. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17674. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35119693.
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2021
Polzer ER, Nearing KA, Knoepke CE, Matlock DD, Betz ME. Firearm access and dementia: A qualitative study of reported behavioral disturbances and responses. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Sep 29. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17496. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34590304
Betz ME, Polzer E, Nearing K, Knoepke CE, Johnson RL, Meador L, Matlock DD. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Web-Based Caregiver Decision Aid (Safety in Dementia) for Firearm Access: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2021 Sep 22;5(9):e30990. doi: 10.2196/30990.
PMID: 34550082
Polzer E, Nearing K, Knoepke CE, Matlock DD, McCourt A, Betz ME. "Firearm access in dementia: legal and logistic challenges for caregivers". Int Rev Psychiatry. 2021 Apr 1:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2021.1887098. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 33792478
2020
Nearing K, Rainwater J, Neves S, Bhatti P, Conway B, Hafer N, Harter K, Kenyon N, McManus MM, McNeal DM, Morrato EH, Rajguru SM, Wasko M. I-Corps@NCATS trains clinical and translational science teams to accelerate translation of research innovations into practice. J Clin Transl Sci. 2020 Dec 7;5(1):e66. doi: 10.1017/cts.2020.561. PMCID: PMC8057475.
PMID: 33948285
Nearing KA, Lum HD, Dang S, Powers B, McLaren J, Gately M, Hung W, Moo L. National Geriatric Network Rapidly Addresses Trainee Telehealth Needs in Response to COVID-19. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jul 08.
PMID: 32639578
Polzer ER, Nearing K, Knoepke CE, Matlock DD, Azrael D, Siry BJ, Meador L, Betz ME. "Safety in Dementia": Development of an Online Caregiver Tool for Firearm, Driving, and Home Safety. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jul 06.
PMID: 32628279
Nearing KA, Nuechterlein BM, Tan S, Zerzan JT, Libby AM, Austin GL. Training Mentor-Mentee Pairs to Build a Robust Culture for Mentorship and a Pipeline of Clinical and Translational Researchers: The Colorado Mentoring Training Program. Acad Med. 2020 05; 95(5):730-736.
PMID: 1972672
Jones CD, Nearing KA, Burke RE, Lum HD, Boxer RS, Stevens-Lapsley JE, Ozkaynak M, Levy CR. "What Would It Take to Transform Post-Acute Care?" 2019 Conference Proceedings on Re-envisioning Post-Acute Care. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020 Aug; 21(8):1012-1014.
PMID: 32192872
2019
Drake C, Wald HL, Eber LB, Trojanowski JI, Nearing KA, Boxer RS. Research Priorities in Post-acute and Long-term Care: Results of a Stakeholder Needs Assessment. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2019 07; 20(7):911-915.
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Presentations & Media
HSR&D 2023 Conference Poster:
Digital Divide Magnified for Rural, Older Veterans Living “Off the Grid”
Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) Connect is an enterprise-wide dissemination project funded by the VA Office of Rural Health. The national network (Fig. 1) includes 18 GRECC Connect hub sites based at VA medical facilities in urban centers. Hub sites partner with VA community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) to increase access to geriatric specialty care for rural, older Veterans with multiple chronic conditions and complex care needs through telemedicine.
Objective: To support strategic planning, the GRECC Connect national qualitative evaluation core explored facilitators and barriers to the uptake of GRECC Connect services among CBOC providers and patients.
