It is important to have all three goals described below coordinated through one organizational unit. To this end, the Healthy Aging Initiative is proposed. This Initiative will be promoted and driven by the existing Center on Aging, as can be seen in the schematic below. Recognizing the existing interdisciplinary units currently at MUSC, the working group for Healthy Aging focused on the following organizational model:
The Healthy Aging Initiative:
The Healthy Aging work group formulated a three-step process to initiate the infrastructure described above
Information Infrastructure Implementation Some of these steps have already been initiated, while others are far behind due to a lack of resources. The Healthy Aging initiative will utilize resources within MUSC as well as state- and nation-wide resources at different steps of the process, starting with the wealth of knowledge that exists regarding our state and its citizens. An important goal is to establish and utilize measurable outcomes for quality of life, since the overall goal of this strategic plan is to enhance the quality of life for older South Carolinians.
The resources needed to implement the Healthy Aging initiative are intended to build the infrastructure and coordinate research, clinical, and education and outreach initiatives supporting a common goal of enhancing the quality of life, as well as the longevity, of older adults in South Carolina. There are some important steps that are necessary on behalf of MUSC for the Healthy Aging Initiative to succeed. These initial steps are listed below. Following the data gathering and the establishment of coordinators (see Step 1, below), we will be able to estimate future needs of the Healthy Aging initiative.
It is essential for the success of future Centers of Excellence and other programmatic entities, that the indirect cost allocation at MUSC is reviewed so that income can be generated by Centers, especially when they are harboring faculty members, bringing in research grants, educating students, and paying percent effort on faculty salaries. This is an urgent matter that has to be resolved before any strategic plans in our field can be implemented. MUSC needs to provide a full-time development officer to work on age-related funding alternatives. A grant- and business consultant (and former Director for Extramural research at National Institute on Aging, NIA) has been identified to help develop Centers of Excellence in age-related research at MUSC. The salary of this consultant amounts to $70,000/year. One FTE is needed for research coordination and establishment of the aging research network (ARN). This person will participate in collaborative efforts on aging, organize the annual Forum on Aging conference, and participate in administering a pre- and postdoctoral training program on aging at MUSC. Funds are needed for coordination and transport support for harvesting of human tissues (Neuropathology core). This is absolutely necessary for programmatic research and education to occur in the field of neurodegenerative disease and stroke. The Geriatric Care Network, GCN, needs resources to provide for one FTE (the clinical care coordinator) and administrative support to implement a coordinated care plan for older adults at MUSC. Additional faculty time (clinical and basic science faculty) is needed for implementing a gerontology/geriatric teaching paradigm at MUSC including patient care/ problem based learning initiatives and an interdisciplinary course on aging as well as clinical fellowships in geriatrics. The Education and Outreach component needs resources to provide for one FTE (educational coordinator) and administrative support for implementation of curricular changes at MUSC and in statewide educational programs. Next->Goal 1 Establish Research Program Medical University of South Carolina: Human Resources | 
