Geriatric Education Center experts from the Lubbock campus schools of nursing, allied health sciences, medicine and pharmacy will host a seminar from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 8 in Room 1C125 to provide practicing and future health care professionals increased awareness of the importance of geriatric care in an acute care setting.

“Students, residents, fellows and faculty will be able to apply the knowledge and skills they learn at this workshop in their everyday practice,” said Alyce Ashcraft, Ph.D., R.N., co-director of the project and professor with the School of Nursing.

TTUHSC’s service area is comprised of more than 80 rural and frontier counties with health care access barriers such as distance and income, and a growing population of seniors, Ashcraft said.

In July 2010, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Department awarded TTUHSC, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, Geriatric Education Center programs. In all, Texas universities received $1.6 million in funding for these centers for 2010-2011.

The purpose of the centers is to develop and disseminate geriatrics-specific health care professions education for the Texas Panhandle and West Texas regions.

The cost to attend the seminar is $25 for health care professionals and $15 for students. Lunch will be provided. To register or for more information, email Willie Tatum or call (806) 743-2138.