February 2025 Issue | Volume 19, Number 02

A publication of the Univ. of Utah Center on Aging
phone: 801.213.4156 | email: aging@utah.edu
Newsletter Archives

The Center on Aging sponsors an annual pilot grant program to promote the development of aging research at the University of Utah. The goal of this program is to encourage new investigator career development, attract established investigators to aging research, and stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations – ultimately leading to new externally funded research. Thank you to everyone that submitted a Letter of Intent.  We had a record breaking number of submittals this year - just over 40.  At this time you should know if you are being asked to moved forward to Step 2 for the full application. 
 
If you have any questions, direct them to Heather Podolan, Academic Program Manager, or Dr. Alayne Markland, Executive Director. 

Dr. Tim Farrell and Andrea Harris presented at the virtual Living Well Coalition Panel sponsored by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Aging Program on February 24.  This panel session addressed best practices in increasing referrals from healthcare providers to evidence-based programs that encourage physical activity, which aligns with the age-friendly 4Ms approach by addressing Mobility so that patients can move safely every day to do What Matters to them.

You are invited to apply to the Master of Science in Gerontology from the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program by Mar 15 for the Fall 2025 cohort. This academic degree is open to students from all backgrounds, and there is still plenty of time to apply.

Aging intersects with all fields and disciplines, and the MS in Gerontology prepares learners to be leaders in the field of gerontology. Their actions, discoveries, and advocacy will strengthen and positively transform the health and wellbeing of aging individuals in multiple contexts across a variety of careers.

We are holding a final information session on March 4th, including tips for submitting a strong application. Please contact Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Katarina.felsted@nurs.utah.edu with any questions you may have

The Department of Internal Medicine and the Division of Geriatrics
present

The Gerald Rothstein, MD
Endowed Lectureship

Disability in Older Patients

Presented by
Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco

Thursday, March 6, 2025
Noon – 1:00 pm

Link: Grand Rounds - U of U School of Medicine | University of Utah

American Geriatrics Society 

May 8-10, 2025 

Chicago , IL

I'm a new paragraph block.

Save the Date!

Rocky Mountain Geriatric Conference

“All Hands On Deck! Navigating the Treacherous Waters of Serious Illness in Older Adults”

How an interdisciplinary age-friendly health system can support older adults facing serious illness such as hospitalization, surgery, and end of life care.

September 11-12, 2025

University of Utah - HELIX Building

SLC, Utah

More details to come!

Please join the University of Utah, Division of Geriatrics and the Veteran Affairs Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center for Geriatric Grand Rounds and Translational Grand Rounds on Tuesday mornings.

Dr. Sara Bybee who is conducting an Alzheimer's Association funded study to co-design a Spanish-language advance care planning intervention for Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino persons living with dementia and their care partners (spouse, adult child, chosen family member, etc.).

Dr. Bybee is looking for 5 pairs of people to participate on a community advisory board. The community advisory board will meet a total of eight times over three years, and each participant will be compensated $100 for every meeting they attend. The study materials and meetings are in Spanish, so persons must be fluent and must identify as Hispanic/Latino. Interested participants can also visit this link https://redcap01.brisc.utah.edu/ccts/redcap/surveys/?s=CKA4X3HKJR9MTAK9 to complete a screening questionnaire. 

UCOA Quarterly Summit – February 13 Aging

The Utah Commission on Aging held the first quarterly summit on 2025 on Thursday, February 13 via Zoom. There were close to 50 attendees throughout. Dr. Alayne Markland was introduced and gave a brief message about her role and vision as the new Geriatrics Division Chief at the U. Executive Director Ence then gave a timeline update of next projects related to the Master Plan on Aging.

AARP advocacy director, Joe Hirabayashi, gave an overview of key issues and likelihood of success in the legislative session, including Social Security state tax removal as supported by Governor Cox. DHHS/DAAS director, Nels Holmgren, also updated issues and walked the group through a presentation of the governor’s WISE initiative and planned state listening tour to include DHHS leaders and sought support and input from the UCOA group about locations and attendee recruitment.                           

Two educational presentations were kicked off by One Utah Health Collaborative’s John Poelman, discussing the mission of the organization and their report, “A Vision for Utah’s HealthCare.” This organization is looking at ways to support UCOA’s quest to establish an electronic registry in the state. The second presentation was introduced by Teresa Brunt, a partner in the Utah Falls Prevention Alliance, “Community Outreach via EMS/ Connecting the Dots" presented by Brandon Howard, West Jordan Battalion Chief talking about initiatives that have helped reduce falls in their communities. This is part of a UCOA commitment to highlight falls prevention initiatives each year.

Community Partner Engagements.

Executive Director Ence presented at the Western States Leadership Council Meeting which is a seven-state collaborative working on arts in aging efforts and sharing best practices. Ence discussed the framework of a master plan for aging and how arts in aging became an integral part of Utah’s plan. Ence also met w DHHS leadership to debrief on the Governor’s summit and talked about the listening tour. Director Tracy Gruber was present and supportive of UCOA efforts.

Executive Director Ence is a participant on the GIP Advisory Board and GERON MS accreditation team. Ence is also active with the DAAS steering committee and awareness campaigns derived from the state survey of critical needs. Ence met with U4A leadership, and is working on a joint ACL grant with caregiving roundtable partners, and participated on the Age-Friendly Ecosystem Focus Group. 

Alzheimer's Association

Health Services Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (HSR-ADRD) Funding Program

This program provides funding of up to $250,000 (inclusive of direct and indirect costs) over a two-year period, with Year 1 funding capped at $137,500 and Year 2 funding capped at $112,500. Applications will be accepted from researchers at all career levels, including postdoctoral fellows, instructors, assistant, associate, and full professors. 

As a mostly virtual Center, we depend on the accuracy and timeliness of our Web presence. Center members are urged to review and update their membership directory information. Please take the next few moments to review your information on the Center’s Web site. Send any updates or requests for changes and more importantly to be linked to the appropriate topic interest group(s) complete this survey and return to Heather at heather.podolan@hsc.utah.edu or aging.utah.edu.

For past issues, please visit our NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES PAGE.

The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) - the earth’s oldest inhabitant with a life span of almost 5,000 years - is found only in Utah and five other western states. Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the Utah Center on Aging.