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What is the Geriatrics Recognition Award (GRA)?
The GRA recognizes physicians and nurses who are committed to lifelong learning about the care of older adults. The American Geriatrics Society established the GRA to encourage health professionals to acquire special knowledge and keep abreast of the latest advances in clinical care of older adults through participation in lifelong learning.

Why Apply for the GRA?
In the last thirty or so years, there have been many significant advances in the understanding of the physiological changes of aging, the complexity of disease patterns in older patients and the ability to effectively manage the complicated elderly patient with multiple co-morbidities. These principles and knowledge must be translated to the care of older adults so that the burgeoning senior population receives the highest quality health care possible

By 2030, the proportion of the U.S. population that is aged 65 or older is expected to increase from 12.4% in 2000 to 19.6%, or about 1 in 5 Americans. The number of elderly Americans is expected to double during this 30-year period, from approximately 35 million to 71 million. The number of oldest-old Americans, those aged 80 years or older (the age group of patients in the United States with the highest hospitalization rate), will increase from 9.3 million in 2000 to 19.5 million in 2030. If life expectancy continues to increase at the same rate seen in the 1990s, the number of oldest-old people could balloon to 31.2 million by 2050.

The GRA demonstrates the physician's or nurse's commitment to providing quality care to patients by participating in CE programs in geriatrics/gerontological nursing. It provides professional recognition of his/her special knowledge in care of older adults, which is sought by many health care employers, and supplements certification.

Who May Apply?
All physicians and nurses may apply for the GRA. You do not need to be a member of the AGS to be eligible. Applicants who meet all the requirements will receive an award certificate recognizing his/her participation in lifelong learning centered on the care of older adults. Awardees may opt to have their certificates framed at additional cost.

Requirements for Physicians
The applicant must have earned 125 AMA Category 1 or AOA equivalent CME credits over a period of 4 or less years from CME programs in geriatrics. Credits must be earned from continuing education programs in geriatrics. At least 100 credits must be from programs that are sponsored, jointly sponsored or endorsed by the AGS. These programs include but are not limited to the AGS Annual Meetings, GRS5, and GRS6. 25 credits can be from programs you have attended that have geriatrics content but are not sponsored, jointly sponsored or endorsed by the AGS. Physicians may only claim those hours allocated to geriatrics content.

Requirements for Nurses

1. A nurse must earn 150 nursing contact hours or 125 AMA Category 1 credits over a period of 4 or less years from CE programs in geriatrics/gerontological nursing. The credits may be a combination of nursing contact hours and CME credits. Examples: an applicant may earn:
   

   (a) 100 nursing contact hours and 25 CME credits; (b) 150 nursing contact hours and no CME credits; or (c) 125 CME credits and no nursing contact hours

2. At least 120 nursing contact hours or 100 CME credits must be from CE programs sponsored by the AGS.
   Examples:
   

   (a) AGS Annual Meetings since and including the 2003 meeting (b) AGS endorsed CME courses after Jan. 1, 2003. (c) Geriatrics Review Syllabus (GRS5 and GRS6). For the GRS5, applicants will be awarded 56 nursing contact hours on successful completion of the self-assessment portion of the syllabus (successful completion requires an applicant to achieve a score 70% or higher). For the GRS6, applicants can claim 75 hours of AMA Category 1 credits. (d) Geriatrics Nursing Review Syllabus (GNRS! And GNRS2): For the GNRS1, applicants will be awarded 50 nursing contact hours on successful completion of the self-assessment portion of the syllabus (successful completion requires an applicant to achieve a score of 70% or higher). For the GNRS2, the AGS has evaluated the number of hours it would take an individual to complete the GNRS2 syllabus and self-assessment questions and determined that individuals can submit for up to 50 hours toward the GRA.

3. The remaining 30 contact hours or 25 CME credits may be from CE programs not sponsored or endorsed by the AGS, but approved by the American Nurses Association (ANA) or certified for American Medical Association (AMA) Category 1 credits. These programs must have geriatrics/gerontological content, and only hours allocated for geriatrics/gerontological may be counted.

Term
The Geriatrics Recognition Award is valid for four (4) years from the month that the application is approved.

Applications for the GRA should be submitted to:
Dennise McAlpin
Manager, Professional Education and Special Projects
American Geriatrics Society
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 801
New York, NY 10118
Phone: 212-308-1414
Fax: 212-832-8646
Email: Dmcalpin@americangeriatrics.org

For more information contact Dennise McAlpin.

Click here to download and print the GRA application

View the list of GRA Winners

Changes in Requirements for the GRA