Description: 

The United States is undergoing a significant demographic shift, with a rapidly aging and increasingly diverse population. As of 2020, about one in six Americans is 65 or older, and nearly 11,000 more reach that age each day. As people age, their healthcare needs often become more complex—yet many health systems struggle to manage this complexity, resulting in preventable harm and poorer outcomes for older adults. This course is designed to support Sutter Health’s efforts to become an Age-Friendly Health System by educating future champions on the foundational 4Ms framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. These evidence-based principles guide the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centered care for older adults across all healthcare settings. The course also integrates health and practice data into the planning and presentation of accredited Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) and Continuing Education (CE), enabling participants to identify care gaps, monitor outcomes, and design targeted interventions. In addition, it addresses key factors beyond clinical care—such as social determinants of health—that influence patient outcomes, incorporating these elements into CE and IPCE to promote more holistic, equitable care for aging populations.

Target Audience: 

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse, Registered (RN)

Pharmacists (PharmD)

Physical Therapist

Learning Objectives: 

After Attending This Activity Learners Should Be Able To:

1. Summarize the essential components, or “4Ms”, of IHI’s Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS).

2. Consider the “why” and “why now” of Age-Friendly quality improvement at Sutter Health.

3. Support the readiness of your team, using Sutter created tools based on IHI and CMS identified drivers of effective and sustainable change.

4. Apply reflective learning strategies to recognize personal and systemic ageist biases and incorporate age-inclusive best practices into everyday healthcare delivery.

5. Integrate data driven approaches for reliable and equitable Age-Friendly Care Delivery

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Sutter Health, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statement

Sutter Health designates this LIVE activity for a maximum of 0.50 continuing professional development contact hours for nurses, 0.50 knowledge-based contact hours for pharmacists, and 0.50 continuing competency-based credits for physical therapists. Learners should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Note to Other Disciplines: Non-Physician Participation Credit (AKA - AMA PRA Category 1 Credits HOURS™) Continuing Medical Education is acceptable for meeting the continuing education requirements for Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, Psychologists, Registered Nurses, and Respiratory Care Practitioners. For other disciplines, please check with the regulatory board for your discipline to confirm what type of credits meet the continuing education requirements. Continuing education hours for nurses accredited by ANCC, via Joint Accreditation