Leadership, Inside and Out: The Tideswell-AGS-ADGAP Emerging Leaders in Aging Program

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Healthcare Leadership
• Health Professions Education
• Aging Research

Background:

• Optimizing health for older adults requires dedicated leadership in care models, workforce education, research, and community engagement.
• A need exists for specialized training programs to develop leaders in the field of aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Emerging Leaders in Aging (ELIA) program on healthcare professionals.
• To assess the program's effectiveness in enhancing leadership skills and confidence in gerontology.

Main Methods:

• The ELIA program trained 65 scholars across seven health professions over a year.
• Utilized a social change curricular framework focusing on self-knowledge, community, and change engagement.
• Program impact was measured through scholar satisfaction, confidence levels, project progress, and productivity.

Main Results:

• High overall satisfaction (4.86/5) and significant increase in scholar confidence (5.8 to 8.0 on a 9-point scale, p < .001).
• Post-program productivity included 85 presentations, 63 publications, and 21 awards.
• Scholars emphasized the program's value for early and mid-career professionals in health and aging.

Conclusions:

• The ELIA program effectively enhances confidence and skills in emerging leaders dedicated to older adult care.
• Longitudinal mentoring and project-based learning are key program components.
• Such programs are crucial for preparing a competent healthcare workforce to meet evolving aging population needs.