Effective June 30, 2012, the Hartford-funded Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Initiative will be moving.

BAGNC was born and raised at the American Academy of Nursing, where it has thrived for 12 years. The evidence lies in the over 200 gero-focused pre- and post-doctoral nursing students who have taught close to 33,000 students, received over $74 million in funding, and published over 1,300 articles on the care of older adults.

The Academy’s President, Joanne Disch, positively reflects on those years. “We are certainly proud of the role that the American Academy of Nursing has played in the development of the many Scholars and Fellows who now have the knowledge and skills to impact the quality of care delivered to our nation’s elders,” she explains.

Now that BAGNC has excelled and matured under the roof of the Academy, it is now time, as I have come to call it, for the initiative to “go to college.”

The BAGNC Initiative will be moving to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) where—like a student attending college—it will be exposed to many new people from different (interdisciplinary) backgrounds bringing new opportunities and experiences.

Dr. Taylor Harden, leader of the BAGNC Initiative, looks forward to the move with optimism:

I am extremely proud of the legacy established by the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Initiative during its tenure at the American Academy of Nursing. As we exit the Academy and enter the Gerontological Society of America, I am optimistic about our future, and the united vision of gerontological nursing. This move positions us for new ventures and opportunities to leverage the strengths of the National Hartford Centers, alumni, and interprofessional collaborations.

James Appleby, Executive Director at GSA, has enthusiastically welcomed the move:

The Gerontological Society of America is delighted to have the opportunity to help advance the John A. Hartford Foundation’s Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Initiative and Coordinating Center Programs. GSA looks forward to supporting the work of the Coordinating Center and its Scholars and Fellows, and to cultivating ever stronger interdisciplinary links throughout the Society membership, to help advance research, education, and practice in gerontology.

So, as we help BAGNC pack its bags, here is what we want you to know:

  • BAGNC is moving this summer to GSA.
  • Any BAGNC scholars and fellows currently funded through the Academy will receive all payments and commitments.
  • There will be at least three more cohorts of the BAGNC Archbold pre-doctoral scholars and Fagin post-doctoral fellows. Apply now!
  • The BAGNC Alumni group is alive and well and expects to make many new friends at GSA. Check out their dialogue and activities on their LinkedIn site.

Like all who go off to college, BAGNC is grateful to its parent organization at the Academy. I fondly recall the things we did together over our 12 years to promote geriatric nursing, notably two special issues of Nursing Outlook focused on the Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (2006) and the Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative (2011); the annual BAGNC Leadership Conference; the Nurse Leader in Aging Award; and the hosting of an Alumni session at the Academy’s Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science conference (2011).

We at the John A. Hartford Foundation expect to continue to work with the Academy in new and expanded ways to ensure that all nurses have the skills and competence to care for our aging society. In the meantime, we expect BAGNC to expand their tradition of excellence in the care of GSA.