June 2010, Volume 4, Number 6

News and Events

Announcing the Center on Aging 2010 Pilot Grant Award Recipients

The Center on Aging Steering Committee was pleased to receive 15 aging-related proposals this year, and faced a difficult challenge selecting from this group of meritorious projects to rank the five that were ultimately selected for funding. The submissions spanned several disciplines and included proposals from 15 different departments and 8 different colleges throughout the University. Click here to view the abstracts of the five pilot grant recipients selected for funding.

The recipients are:

Thure Cerling, PhD / Ken Smith, PhD / James Ehleringer, PhD
Biology; Geology & Geophysics / Huntsman Cancer Institute / Biology
"Using Hair to Monitor Health and Nutrition among the Elderly"

Marilyn Luptak, PhD, MSW, BSW / Frances Wilby, PhD, MSW
Social Work
"Development and Enhancement of a Medical Home Model for Low-Income Older Adults"

Codrina Rada, PhD / Zachary Zimmer, PhD, M.A.
Economics / Sociology; Institute of Public and International Affairs
"The Impact of Migration of Adult Children on Well-being of Older Parents in Romania"

Douglas E. Rollins, MD, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology; Pharmacy
"The Role of Aging in the Formation of Acetaminophen Protein Adducts"

D. Walter Wray, PhD / John McDaniel, PhD
Department of Medicine; Geriatrics / Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center "Efficacy of Antioxidants on Muscular and Vascular Function in the Elderly"

We congratulate these investigators and look forward to having them present their preliminary results at the Spring 2011 Center on Aging Research Retreat.

Loan Forgiveness Program for Geriatric Health Care Providers

The purpose of the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program is to assist in the recruitment and retention of health care professionals dedicated to serving communities that lack adequate access to primary health care, and assists in addressing the health professional shortages that may cause disparities in access to health care.

Award recipients agree to a minimum two-year service obligation, with the hope that they will remain and continue to serve medically underserved populations in Utah communities upon completion of their service obligation.

An Amendment has been submitted to the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program Rule by the Utah Department of Health, Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, that includes: changing wording in several sections of the rule to include geriatric professionals, further defining what determines a geriatric professional, licensure requirements for the new geriatric professionals assuring they meet the intent of the Act, further explaining what types of eligible loans are covered by the program, adding and including criteria that meets the eligibility and selection criteria for geriatric professionals. The amendment also deletes criteria that no longer assist in determining and selecting the best qualified candidates. This rule change allows businesses to apply for educational loan repayment for a new group of geriatric professionals. Participation is voluntary and should have a net positive fiscal impact on affected businesses when the application cost is compared to the benefit of educational loan repayment.

The Rule Amendment will be published June 15, 2010 and public comments will be accepted through August 2, 2010. Click here for the proposed rule (scroll to "Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program.") Click here for the definitions. Public comments should be emailed to Erin Olsen at elolsen@utah.gov.

Rocky Mountain Geriatrics Conference

The 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Geriatrics Conference, "Active Aging: Bringing the Science of Exercise to the Community" will be held September 15-17, 2010 at the Park City Marriott. Please mark your calendars now, and post the attached flyer in your departments. The conference web site can be viewed here. For questions or more information, please contact jack.christensen@va.gov or call (801) 582-1565 xn 2435.

About our logo: The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) the earth's oldest inhabitant with a life span of 4,000 years is found only in Utah and five other western states. Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the Utah Center on Aging.

If you have questions about the University of Utah Center on Aging, please visit us online at http://aging.utah.edu 801-585-9540 or aging@hsc.utah.edu

Best,

Mark A. Supiano, MD
Executive Director - Center on Aging