In Phase Three, the GWEP-CC will offer two Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) Action Communities. The GWEP-CC will host a traditional action community, and then a second cycle action community that will run continuously through the end of Phase Three. Our target goal is that GWEPs will enroll primary care partners teams into the GWEP-CC Action Community regardless of when the partnerships are established.
The GWEP-CC Action Communities are designed for the GWEPs and their primary care practice partners as an on-ramp community to test and act on the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility). They provide multiple educational and networking opportunities for participants, as well as resources and tools to enhance understanding of the 4Ms through the journey in becoming recognized as Age-Friendly. The GWEP-CC previously held two action communities.
Age-Friendly Health Systems, an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with American Hospital Association and Catholic Health Association of the United States, is focused on adopting an evidence-based framework that helps practices efficiently prioritize and organize effective care for older adults.
As of January 2024, IHI has awarded Level-1 recognition to 272 sites and Level-2 recognition to 144 sites. The sites who received Level-1 recognition are partnered with all 48 GWEPs and the Level-2 sites represent 31 GWEPs. An overview of these recognitions can be seen in the chart below:
| Age-Friendly Health System Participants* (Level-1 recognition) | Age-Friendly Health Systems – Committed to Care Excellence (Level-2 recognition)** |
|---|---|
| • 272 primary care partner sites • 48 (all) GWEPs represented | • 144 primary care partner sites • 31 GWEPs represented |
Click below for the list of recognized participants. The GWEP-CC continues to support GWEPs and their partners on the path towards recognition.
* An Age-Friendly Health System Participant is recognized for being on the journey to becoming an Age-Friendly Health System and has submitted a description of how it is putting the 4Ms into practice.
** An Age-Friendly Health System Committed to Care Excellence is a recognition for being an exemplar in the movement based on:
- Having a description of how the 4Ms are being operationalized that is aligned with the Age-Friendly Health System Guide to Using the 4Ms in the Care of Older Adults and which has been approved by IHI.
- Having submitted at least three months’ count of older adults reached with evidence-based, 4Ms care.