Geri-a-FLOAT: Curriculum Development

The United States faces a severe shortage of geriatricians at a time when the population aged 65 and older is growing rapidly and projected to reach 95 million by 2060. Currently, there is only about one certified geriatrician for every 2,000 older adults, with many regions having far fewer or none at all. This gap has persisted and worsened despite efforts to expand training, leaving primary care providers and other specialists to manage complex age-related conditions without specialized expertise.

Geri-a-FLOAT — Geriatrics Fellows Learning Online And Together — emerged in 2020 as a national virtual curriculum to address disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, when traditional in-person fellowship training and peer interactions were severely limited. Co-founded by programs including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, it has evolved into a sustained platform for weekly or bi-monthly sessions that deepen knowledge in geriatric medicine while fostering networking, peer support, and wellness among fellows across institutions.

The topic matters right now because the geriatrics workforce crisis remains acute in 2026, with ongoing calls for expanded federal support through programs like the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA). Recent legislative efforts, such as Senate bills in 2025 commending prioritization of geriatrics education and training, underscore the urgency to build faculty expertise and integrate geriatrics principles into broader health professional education. Curriculum development efforts like those in Geri-a-FLOAT help standardize and disseminate best practices nationally, countering institutional silos and supporting the next generation of geriatricians amid rising demand driven by aging baby boomers.

The real-world impact falls hardest on older adults with multiple chronic conditions, frailty, or complex needs such as dementia, polypharmacy, and functional decline. Without adequately trained specialists, these patients face higher risks of adverse outcomes, including hospitalizations, medication errors, and loss of independence. Family caregivers and primary care systems also bear increased burdens. By strengthening fellowship education and collaboration, initiatives like this aim to improve care quality and help close the workforce gap before demographic pressures become overwhelming.