GERTI's mission is to provide clinical and educational opportunities
and resources in geriatric medicine and gerontology for care providers
who will serve the older population.
GERTI (Grow with Evergreen Resources for Transforming Innovations) is the educational arm of
Evergreen Community, formerly Johnson County Nursing Center. GERTI's mission is to provide clinical
and educational opportunities and resources in geriatric medicine and gerontology for care providers
who will serve the older population.
Evergreen Community's mission is to provide the best possible long-term care services to Johnson
County residents, including residents with limited assets.
GERTI and Evergreen Community were established in January of 2003 as a private, not-for-profit,
501(c)(3) organization. The nursing center has been in continuous operation since 1863 and began
as the county poor farm, but due to changes in county government, came out from under the
county’s governance although it still remains in operation within the county’s building.
Currently GERTI offers an Advanced Education in Long-Term Care course to equip
everyone who works in long-term care for greater success, job satisfaction,
and retention.
Our first course was launched on October 13, 2003. Support from the Kansas Department on
Aging (KDOA) allowed us to take our Advanced Education Course for Long-term Care to four
towns in rural Kansas in 2004-2005. Through continued support from KDOA in the 2005-2006 we took this program to
seven rural locations across Kansas. In the 2007 KDOA grant cycle the program
was taken to 11 rural locations. Then in the 2008 KDOA grant cycle the
program was taken to 12 rural locations. In 2009 and 2010 the program
was offered in 10 or more rural locations through the KDOA grant. GERTI continues to offer
classes in rural towns across Kansas to enhance the lives of residents and
employees. Other courses have been developed and taught at locations in
the Kansas City area and towns across Kansas and Missouri.
GERTI has developed on-line continuing education courses for the Missouri
League for Nursing and presented webinars for Kansas Association for Homes and
Services for the Aging.
Over 3,200 people from 281 organizations have completed GERTI classes as of
January 2012. All evaluations have been very high, including daily student
evaluations, improvement from pre- to post-tests, and assessments by
participants’ supervisors. Participants have included employees
from long-term care, assisted living, and consulting companies. They work
in all departments, from administrators to dietary assistants to chaplains
to directors of nursing. All have been very enthusiastic about the value
of the program.
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