Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84148, USA.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Jul;60(7):1347-56. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04004.x. Epub 2012 Jun 15.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs) originated in 1975 in response to the rapidly aging veteran population. Since its inception, the GRECC program has made major contributions to the advancement of aging research, geriatric training, and clinical care within and outside the VA. GRECCs were created to conduct translational research to enhance the clinical care of future aging generations. GRECC training programs also provide leadership in educating healthcare providers about the special needs of older persons. GRECC programs are also instrumental in establishing robust clinical geriatric and aging research programs at their affiliated university schools of medicine. This report identifies how the GRECC program has successfully adapted to changes that have occurred in VA since 1994, when the program's influence on U.S. geriatrics was last reported, focusing on its effect on advancing clinical geriatrics in the last 10 years. This evidence supports the conclusion that, after more than 30 years, the GRECC program remains a vibrant "jewel in the crown of the VA" and is poised to make contributions to aging research and clinical geriatrics well into the future.
退伍军人事务部（VA）老年病学研究、教育和临床中心（GRECC）于 1975 年成立，以应对迅速老龄化的退伍军人人口。自成立以来，GRECC 计划为推进老龄化研究、老年病学培训以及退伍军人事务部内外的临床护理做出了重大贡献。创建 GRECC 是为了进行转化研究，以提高未来几代老年人的临床护理水平。GRECC 培训计划还在为医疗保健提供者提供有关老年人特殊需求的教育方面发挥领导作用。GRECC 计划还有助于在其附属的医学院校建立强大的临床老年病学和老龄化研究计划。本报告确定了自 1994 年以来，即上次报告 GRECC 计划对美国老年病学的影响以来，VA 内部发生变化时，GRECC 计划是如何成功适应这些变化的，重点关注其在过去 10 年对推进临床老年病学的影响。这一证据支持这样的结论，即经过 30 多年，GRECC 计划仍然是“VA 皇冠上的一颗璀璨明珠”，并且有望在未来为老龄化研究和临床老年病学做出贡献。
