Marilyn Gugliucci awarded grant to support growth of gerontology and geriatrics education in health professions programs

Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine, was awarded a Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) grant through the Association for Gerontology/Geriatrics in Higher Education (AGHE). The aim of the grant is to support health professions programs at U.S. colleges or universities as they advance competencies in geriatrics and gerontology in the curriculum and become globally recognized.

Gugliucci is the chair of the AGHE Program of Merit (POM) Curriculum Review program, which until recently only reviewed and awarded Program of Merit status to gerontology programs. POM is an important status for health professions programs because there is no established accreditation system for geriatrics and gerontology.

Through the efforts of an interprofessional team chaired by Gugliucci, the AGHE Program of Merit status can now be conferred to health professions programs that meet competencies as stated in the AGHE Standards and Guidelines Document. As part of the RRF grant, funding can be provided to programs for consultation to prepare the POM application as well as for the application process. 10 health professions programs are expected to apply for Program of Merit status by 2019.

To learn more about the University of New England’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit www.une.edu/com

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions