Academic Administrative Units in Primary Care

The proposed project has two goals: (1) Expand the influence and scope of activities of our Department of Family Practice in research, teaching, and service related to rural health disparities, including at-risk elderly populations, and (2) Support and expand the activities of our emerging rural primary care practice-based research network, the Kentucky Ambulatory Network (KAN), which is administered by our Department of Family Practice. First, we aim to increase the number of full-time and community-based faculty members engaged in research related to rural health disparities. Second, we aim to increase the number of collaborative projects involving three existing resources: Department facuIty, KAN, and expert research faculty from the university's centers for Rural Health, Aging, and Health Services Research. To accomplish these objectives, the program funding will enable us to bring together these Family Practice, university research center, and community-based resources as partners in the development, implementation, and translation of collaborative research projects on health care disparities in the rural elderly. . Third, we will add a qualified geriatrician to our core department faculty. Fourth, we seek to increase the number of family practice,residents and students receiving focused instruction on major health disparities of rural populations, including major health risks faced by the elderly. The geriatrician will work closely with the university and community partners in developing the new curricula, which will be delivered via on-site faculty, video teleconferencing, and web-based interactive learning. All medical students and FP residents at our university and rural training sites will participate. Faculty members will receive pertinent faculty development. Thus, this project will create a sustainable infrastructure that enhances the capacity of the Department of Family Practice to address the health care needs of rural and elderly populations.