In January of 1996, the Miami Area Geriatric Education Center (MAGEC) at the University of Miami School of Medicine organized a select group of specially trained individuals from the University of Miami and the VA Medical Center's Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) to make up a core Geriatric Interdisciplinary Faculty Team (GIFT). Through careful planning and coordination the team developed a mission that supports MAGEC's vision of enhancing its ability to provide technical assistance and team training support to other health-care institutions. The team developed an exportable model of geriatric interdisciplinary team training program(s) for teams in geriatric care settings. We are now ready to develop and evaluate interdisciplinary geriatric health-care teams using Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Total Quality Management (TQM).

Our Mission

GIFT's Mission is to develop and evaluate interdisciplinary geriatric health care teams using CQI/TQM.

Our Vision

It is our vision that within five years we will see interdisciplinary teams working together to provide quality care for geriatric patients in all health care settings.

Questions to Consider

Does your organization serve the elderly community in any way?

Does your organization currently have an established geriatric interdisciplinary team?

If you have a geriatric interdisciplinary team, are you unsure of how well it is functioning?

Do you wish to evaluate the effectiveness of your team?

Would you like to improve customer satisfaction while simultaneously reducing costs?

Your organization is a good candidate for this program if you answered yes to any of these questions.

Who is Eligible?

GIFT trainees represent a wide range of health care backgrounds including but not limited to medicine, nursing, social work, pharmacy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Any site that is involved in providing for health care for the elderly is eligible for GIFT Training, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies. Call (305) 243-6270 for more information about the GIFT and your site's needs.

GIFT Consultants

Lunise Alfred, PharmD
*Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
 Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy
*Clinical Pharmacist,
Miami Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged

Denise K. A. Duffy, MSW, LCSW
*Adjunct Assistant Professor,
University of Miami School of Medicine,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
*Social Worker/Program Coordinator,
UPBEAT Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Nan Musson, MA, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD
*Speech and Language Pathologist,
Audiology and Speech Pathology Service,
Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Edwin J. Olsen, MD, MBA
*Director,
Miami Area Geriatric Education Center
*Professor,
University of Miami School of Medicine,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
*Associate Director of Education,
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Jason Petti
*Administrative Resident
Geriatrics & Extended Care

Michael Silverman, MD
*Professor of Clinical Medicine,
University of Miami School of Medicine
*GRECC Investigator,
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Christine L. Williams, DNSc, CNS, BC
*Professor
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Florida Atlantic University

777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-297-0095; christine.williams@fau.edu

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