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Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

group of doctors talking

The University of South Florida has transformed a community medical school, established by the Florida Legislature in 1965, into a major academic medical center known statewide and nationally for its innovative curriculum with an emphasis on improving health through interprofessional education, research and clinical activities.

The USF College of Medicine, which enrolled its charter class in 1971, was named the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2011, signifying its leading role in changing how medical schools teach physicians of the future. Fully accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education, the college awards doctorates in Medicine (MD), and through its School of Biomedical Sciences, PhD and MS degrees in Medical Sciences. USF’s new SELECT MD program, in partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, PA, focuses on emotional intelligence and leadership development. The School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, established in 1998, offers Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and transitional DPT degrees. Additionally, the college’s Athletic Training Education Program offers both BS and MS degrees. Specially designed programs are available, including combined MD/MBA, MD/MPH, DPT/MPH programs and an Honors Research program. To meet the growing demand for a workforce skilled in science and technology, the college proves a wide range of master’s degrees and graduate certificates in emerging fields, such as biotechnology, bioinformatics, and metabolic and nutritional medicine.

• Visit the Morsani College of Medicine website.


USF College of Nursing

The USF College of Nursing offers professional Baccalaureate, Masters, DNP, and PhD nursing degrees.

Here are some exciting facts about the College.

USF College of Nursing is ranked:

  • Best graduate school in Florida and in the top 8% nationwide by U.S. News and World Report
  • First among Florida’s State University System in National Institutes of Health research funding
  • Most veteran-friendly nursing program in the nation (College Factual)

• Visit the College of Nursing website.


USF College of Pharmacy

The following is an excerpt from Kevin Sneed’s welcome letter:

The national call for team-based, interprofessional delivery of healthcare affirms the clinical and curricular philosophy of the USF College of Pharmacy to produce advanced pharmacist clinicians who will collaborate with other health professionals. The Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) provides the opportunity to re-create virtually any clinical scenario health professionals will encounter in clinical practice. And our Pharmacy of the Future, USF Health Pharmacy Plus, offers patients and students personalized utilization of advanced health technologies. Our pharmacist graduates are well trained to perform as skilled intermediaries to effectively communicate with patients, their health providers, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies. There are enormous resources within USF Health to accomplish this goal.

The University of South Florida has become a top destination for students and faculty. The USF College of Pharmacy is Florida’s first public, comprehensive college of pharmacy in a metropolitan area. Our focus on the future of health care, with the interprofessional prowess of USF Health, is virtually unmatched in the southeast.

As the healthcare needs of Floridians, the nation, and the world continue to grow, the escalating demands on the health care system will require increasing participation of pharmacists to assist healthcare teams and health-systems provisions. With special clinical emphasis placed upon caring for elderly populations, individualized medicine, emerging health information technologies, and building future healthcare leaders, the USF College of Pharmacy is excited to move the pharmacy profession towards the year 2020 and beyond.

• Visit the College of Pharmacy website.


School of Physical Therapy

The School of Physical Therapy was established in 1998 by the Florida Board of Regents as a department within the College of Medicine and graduated its first class of entry-level MSPT students in 2001. Subsequent cohorts of 30 students matriculated each year with the final MSPT class graduating in 2006. In October 2004 the Board of Governors granted USF new degree implementation authority, enabling USF to become the first public university in Florida to offer the professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The Charter DPT class began their three year course of study in August 2005 and graduated in May 2008.

Subsequent cohorts of 36 students enrolled in 2006 through 2011, with enrollment increased to 40 students per cohort in AY 2012-2013. Enrollment increased to 48 students per cohort in AY 14-15 as part of a Florida Legislature sponsored educational partnership with the University of West Florida. The School changed its name in 2007 to include “Rehabilitation Sciences,” reflecting a growing emphasis on scholarly and research activities and in June 2014 was authorized by the Board of Governors to implement the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences degree. The School celebrates its 17th Anniversary in AY2015-16.

• Visit the School of Physical Therapy website.


USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute

With a state-of-the-art building and a highly qualified team of physicians, memory care specialists, researchers and educators, we are in the forefront of Alzheimer's research and patient care.

The rapid growth of the Institute and the need for groundbreaking approaches to the care and treatment of patients with memory disorders have led us to develop the concept of the Center for Memory C.A.R.E. (Clinical Assessment, Research and Education). The entire second floor of our Institute is a revolutionary Center that provides the most up-to-date diagnostic and caregiving services to patients and their families in One Place.

• Visit the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute website.


USF School of Aging Studies

USF is home to one of the oldest and largest gerontology education programs in the United States, and one of the few programs offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in Gerontology, Long-term Care Administration, and Aging Studies. The Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging supports the educational and applied research mission by providing relevant, high-quality research and policy analysis to public officials, program administrators, and stakeholders concerned with the health and well-being of older adults. The School of Aging Studies offers the PhD in Aging Studies interdisciplinary doctoral program and draws on faculty expertise from across the University and has earned approximately $1 million in annual research expenditures and contributions of an additional $4 million in external funding to USF through collaborative research and training programs. The School of Aging Studies hosts the USF Collaborative on Aging, which works to enhance USF’s capacity and reputation as a university with campus-wide strength in aging research, education, and service. GWEP members include Kathryn Hyer, PhD, MPP, director of the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, and Victor Molinari, PhD, ABPP.

• Visit the School of Aging Studies website.


Suncoast Community Health Centers

Suncoast Community Health Centers, Inc., (SCHC) has a successful decades’ long history of partnering with USF Health on clinical training and research initiatives. With ten offices in Hillsborough County’s southern and eastern agricultural region, SCHC serves many low income, diverse and medically needy patients. Its Tom Lee Community Health Center site, situated approximately 20 miles east of USF Health in Dover, Florida, has been selected as the new clinical partner for the USF GWEP clinic. 

SCHC is classified by HRSA as rural and has a Health Professions Shortage Area (HPSA) with a score of 17. Its panel of 50,000 patients includes over 5,000 patients age 55 and older, with over 1,500 patients age 65 and over. Led by CEO Bradely Herremans, MBA and Medical Director Subhakararao Medidi, M.D., FAAFP, SCHC currently is in the process of applying for patient-centered medical home recognition (anticipated determination in April, 2017).

Working with faculty from USF Health, SCHC’s Dover site will be home to an interprofessional clinic for geriatric training and practice enhancement initiatives. SCHC providers are enthusiastic about caregiver support programs offered through Senior Connection Center, Inc., the Aging & Disability Resource Center for Hillsborough County and have already begun referring elder patients to SCC for assessment.

Visit the Suncoast Community Health Centers, Inc. website.


Senior Connection Center

senior connection center logo

Finding the answers to questions on aging can be a daunting task. That’s where Senior Connection Center comes in. SCC is a non-profit 501(c) (3) dedicated to helping people age at home. Staff explain options and guide patients and care givers through a maze of home and community based services. Their mission is to help older adults and those with disabilities live with independence and dignity. They accomplish this by connecting seniors and their caregivers with the services they need.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal named Senior Connection Center the 2015 Non Profit of the Year in the Health and Human Services category (over $10m). More than 250 nonprofit companies were nominated for awards in eight categories.

• Visit the CBC: Senior Connection Center website.