1. Geriatric Rotations Battle Creek
2. Implementation of Residencies
3. Interdisciplinary Clinical Training
4. Continued Medical Education and Winslow Lectureship

ACE facilitates collaborative partnerships to increase access to care for all area residents, particularly for the growing senior population.  ACE is focusing its efforts on education and training to strengthen the provider pipeline and provide coordinated and comprehensive patient care.

ACE partners currently include Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine; Bronson Battle Creek; Bronson Methodist; CentraCare, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly; Area Agency on Aging; Kellogg Community College of Nursing; Miles for Memories; Summit Pointe; Senior Health Partners; Geriatric Evaluation Management System; Calhoun County Public Health Department; Grace Health; Oaklawn Hospital; Integrated Health Partners; Kellogg Community College Lifelong Learning; Calhoun County Medical Care Facility; Kellogg Community College Workforce Development; Calhoun County Medical Society and the Battle Creek Community Foundation.

Education and Training-

ACE members are helping put the pieces together for the creation of a new teaching hospital at Bronson Battle Creek in partnership with Western Michigan University’s Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed). This is especially important as it will permanently increase the number of practicing physicians in the community, since one-third of all physicians remain in the communities where they received their training.  Through partnerships throughout the county and region, we are creating a pipeline of clinicians at all levels who will choose to stay in the area, thereby addressing the rural and medically underserved areas of Calhoun and the surrounding counties and the growing population of seniors.

Under- Graduate Medical Education-

• The partnership for conducting geriatric rotations by WMed medical students at the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program grew out of ACE; the future plan is to eventually include other rotation sites for medical students in Calhoun County.  We are continuing work on developing new, and expanding existing, primary care delivery systems through inter-professional, team-based, patient-centered care.
• Expanding Graduate Medical Education by developing Residencies and Fellowships through a partnership between Bronson Health System, WMed, PACE, and others.
• Expanding Continuing Medical Education to help existing providers at all levels through the expansion and enrichment of the Winslow Lectureship.  The Lectureship will be held two times per year starting in 2016.  Save the date for April 12 and October 18 2016!  Through this work, we intend to develop the skills of providers to serve as educators and role models for learners.
• The ACE committee is also successfully bridging the gap between clinicians and community providers for a seamless continuum of care for all patients by positioning human service providers to work with Bronson to provide coordinated care at the individual and community level.
• Increasing access to care & focusing on interdisciplinary education by creating geriatric training opportunities for students at area nursing programs at Kellogg Community College to work at PACE.
• Working with the Region 3B Area Agency on Aging and others to expand the reach to provide hands on programming for seniors and their caregivers. Create and deliver community-based programs that will provide patients, families and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to improve health outcomes and the quality of care for the older adults.  Working to establish increased capacity for affordable Respite Care Services for caregivers.
• Examining the concept of expanding community services to include an Alzheimer's/ dementia outpatient day center.