Geriatric Center Continuing Education

In addition to Dean's Lectures and other special events, the primary CE activities for health professionals include:

Gerontology Certificate Program

Gerontology Certificate Programs are offered several times a year at Meharry Medical College and at Veterans Affairs Hospitals (Nashville live, Murfreesboro via distance learning). Certificate programs are designed for a multidisciplinary audience of health care professionals who serve older adults. Courses are not in sequence, and no course requires a prerequisite! A new series on Alzheimer's and related dementias is now being offered twice a year.

GCP classes meet on three consecutive Fridays. Typically, six contact hours are awarded for a full day. For more information, please contactCarol Galvez-Gutierrez at 615.327.6947 or via email at cgalvez@mmc.edu.

Geriatrics & Gerontology Interest Group (GGIG) – Vanderbilt

MCGEC consortium partner, Vanderbilt University, in conjunction with the Dept. of Nursing Education and the Center for Quality Aging offer monthly GGIG lunchtime lectures from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CME and CNE credit is awarded and health professionals are encouraged to bring their lunch. Past topics have included "New Developments in Alzheimer's Disease," "The Brain Game: Understanding Mental Fitness," and "Healthcare Reform and New Medical Care Models." Archived lectures may be viewed online.

For more information about GGIG, please contact Anna Lea Cothron at 615.343.6688 or anna.l.dozier@vanderbilt.edu.

Geriatric Update conference

The Geriatric Update is an annual, all-day continuing education conference for physicians, nurses, social workers and other health professional students, faculty and practitioners. CME, CNE and contact hour credits are offered. The fall 2013 conference will feature updates on Alzheimer's and related dementias.

For more information, please contact Mary Ann Ruley at 615.327.6947 or via email at mruley@mmc.edu

Vanderbilt Nursing Conference

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dept. of Nursing Education, Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit, and MCGEC host an annual all-day conference for nurses and other health professionals. Past conference themes have included "Dementia, Delirium and Depression" and "The Art of Holistic Geriatrics." The April 2013 conference will focus on caring for patients with Alzheimer's and related dementias.

For more information about the conference, please contact Anna Lea Cothron at 615.343.6688 or anna.l.dozier@vanderbilt.edu.

Aging Simulation Sensitivity Training

In spring of 2012, MCGEC partnered with the Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center to conduct several aging simulation sessions for medical and nursing students at Meharry and TSU. Students and faculty learned about normal age-related changes and how they impact daily life. They also "experienced" aging by putting on an "aging kit" and completing a number of hands-on simulation exercises involving activities of daily living. Feedback was extremely positive as participants reported having an increased sensitivity toward older adults with visual, auditory and sensory loss.

For more information and/or requests for Aging Simulation Sensitivity Training, please contact Grace Smith at 615.327.6947 or gssmith@mmc.edu.