Upcoming Events and Applications
Kansas Age‑Friendly Nursing Workforce Forum 2026
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. CT | via Zoom
This forum will serve as a collaborative learning experience and dialogue between nursing educators and nursing home leaders, focused on strengthening partnerships to increase the number of nursing graduates who choose to practice in nursing homes. Participants will explore academic‑practice partnership models, identify actionable strategies for collaboration, and develop a draft communal agreement to guide ongoing partnerships in support of an age‑friendly workforce.
$5 registration fee.
Registration closes Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. CT.
Kansas 4M Lunch and Learn: Advancing 4Ms Care of Older Adults and Care Partners Living with Dementia
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | Noon - 1 p.m. CST | via Zoom
Advancing dementia care requires coordinated strategies that honor the needs, priorities, and lived experiences of older adults and their care givers. This session highlights the Kansas Dementia Care Network and Alzheimer’s State Plan, exploring how its core domains align with age-friendly, person-centered approaches. Using the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—participants will examine opportunities to strengthen awareness, prevention, and resource alignment to support individuals living with dementia and those who care for them.
SEEKING: Kansas Home Care Agencies to Pilot a Direct Care Workforce Apprenticeship
Seeking agencies to help shape the training requirements, collaborate on core Direct Care Worforce (DCW) competencies. Kansas 4M will work with agencies to mentor ten direct care workers over two years. Stipend support is available. The program offers a formal career‑ladder pathway and leads to a portable national credential. Interested organizations click the links below to learn more.
Seeking Kansas Nursing Home Professionals and Nurse Educators
A new program begins in 2026
Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Education Program is offering virtual training tailored to Kansas nursing home professionals and nurse educators to implement evidence-based 4Ms care in nursing homes throughout Kansas. The program uses an evidence-based framework known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mentation (Mind), and Mobility.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM.
Apply for the Interprofessional Age-Friendly Scholars Program
Currently available to KUMC and KU students only
Summer 2026 Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
Participating undergraduate and graduate health professions students enrolled with the University of Kansas Medical Center or University of Kansas will receive a $5000 stipend to off-set expenses to participate in a longitudinal clinical rotation in a site serving older adults in a rural or underserved community in Kansas* and engage in virtual interprofessional case-based learning and didactic content on the Age-Friendly Health Systems Framework (4Ms) during the semester of their clinical rotation (fall, spring, or summer). Students are encouraged to commit to pursuit of post-graduation employment in sites serving older adults in rural and/or underserved communities.
*Sites serving older adults in underserved communities located in the greater Kansas City area in Missouri will be considered.
About Kansas 4M
Kansas 4M is a geriatric workforce education program led by the University of Kansas School of Nursing in collaboration with the schools of Health Professions, Medicine, Pharmacy and Social Welfare. Our mission is to ensure that every older adult receives high-quality, person-centered care that aligns with their unique needs and preferences.
We serve the state of Kansas through reciprocal partnerships between academia, health care providers and community organizations that serve older adults, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Kansas 4M offers programs for current health care professionals, students in health care fields and anyone interested in improving care for older adults.
An advisory committee representing older adults, family members, health systems and other key stakeholders guides our work. Learn more about Kansas 4M.
About the 4M Framework
Our efforts align with an Age-Friendly Health Systems framework known as the “4Ms,” which was developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
What Matters
We prioritize understanding and acting on each older adult’s health goals and care preferences.
Medications
We focus on safe medication practices, including reconciliation and de-prescribing to enhance well-being
Mobility
We prioritize individualized mobility plans to maintain and improve physical function.
Mentation
We support cognitive health by addressing dementia, delirium and depression.
Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The award provided 100% of total costs and totaled $5 million with funding from 07/01/2024 through 06/30/2029. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information visit HRSA.gov.