Geriatric education across 94 million acres: adapting conference programming in a rural state

Montana, a predominantly rural state, with a unique blend of geography and history, low population density, and cultural diversity represents the challenges for program development and implementation across remote areas. The paper discusses two statewide multidisciplinary geriatric education programs for health professionals offered by the recently established Montana Geriatric Education Center (MTGEC); use of telecommunications technology; collaborations with Geriatric Education Centers (GECs) and the Montana Healthcare Telemedicine Alliance (MHTA); and training outcomes, insights, and implications for continuing education of health professionals who practice in hard-to-reach regions. In addition, data from a statewide needs assessment are presented specific to preferred format. The MTGEC training model that combined traditional classroom and videoconference increased attendance by twofold and may be adapted in other regions to train providers in remote areas of the U.S.