GIM Assistant Professor Vernee Belcher, MD, was selected to receive a John A. Hartford Age-Friendly Health Systems Scholarship to participate in the American Hospital Association's Next Generation Leaders Fellowship. This is a one year program that connects participants with an accomplished healthcare leader who serves as a mentor. Participants develop and execute a transformation project. The focus of Dr. Belcher’s project will involve improving the care of older adults and will be an extension of her work with the Age Friendly Health Systems Program at Duke Regionsl Hospital.
The fellowship focuses on developing leaders and empowering them to bring about real and lasting change in the hospital and health systems in which they serve. Each year, they select a class of up to 32 talented health care leaders, including 12 Age-Friendly Health System scholarship recipients. During the 12-month program, participants hone essential skills, such as expanding innovation capacity, driving organizational change and digital transformation, and leading the shift from health care to well care.