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Personal Statement
Kathryn A. Nearing, PhD, MA, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Center on Aging; and, Associate Director for Education and Evaluation for the Eastern Colorado GRECC. Areas of expertise include health services research, including dissemination and implementation science; research translation, including health systems change in response to clinical innovation; community-based participatory research and stakeholder engagement; and, education, training and career development, including clinical and translational research mentorship and leadership development.

Research Interest
Dr. Nearing brings over 20 years of experience designing and implementing large-scale evaluations in the fields of clinical and translational research, public health and education (including medical education). Dr. Nearing previously served as the lead evaluator for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and the Eastern Colorado GRECC. The evaluation of the NIH-supported CCTSI examined how the institute catalyzed research across the translational spectrum and life course, with a focus on the mission-critical aspects of education, training and career development; regulatory processes/science; providing high-quality, cost-effective research resources and services to meet prioritized needs; and, stakeholder engagement. In this role, Dr. Nearing applied quantitative and qualitative research expertise, acquired through training as a medical and applied anthropologist and health and behavioral scientist; workflow and social network analysis; and, quality and process improvement to support specific pillars of the CCTSI.

As Associate Director for Education and Evaluation for the Eastern Colorado GRECC, Dr. Nearing leads the education, training and career development component, of which there are currently 16 trainees representing five disciplines and eight core didactic/training opportunities offered routinely with local, regional and national reach. Dr. Nearing coordinates and facilitates the Older Veteran Engagement Team – a group of older Veterans and caregivers who provide feedback and input on research and clinical and community-based services focused on older Veterans. She also actively mentors trainees and GRECC Advanced Research Fellows.

Older Veteran Engagement Team (OVET)
The GRECC has three components: research, clinical demonstration projects and workforce development. To ensure that the voice of those the GRECC hopes to serve informs this work, the GRECC established an Older Veteran Engagement Team (OVET). OVET members are older Veterans and caregivers of older Veterans. OVET engages a diverse group that collectively brings a variety of life and military experiences to bear on issues of importance to aging Veterans and caregivers. OVET meets monthly (3rd Wednesday, 10-12 at the Colorado State Vets Home) and is a resource to investigators, providers and trainees who are interested in receiving feedback and input from older Veterans and caregivers regarding some aspect of a quality improvement, education or research project.

Recent Publications

The following research fields have been used to summarize Dr. Nearing's publication (the number in parentheses is the times that research field has appeared). The categories are based on 34 publications with 118 citations of her work, 59% of her publications have at least 1 citation:

• Clinical Research (18)
• Aging (10)
• Health Services (10)
• Behavioral and Social Science (9)
• Rural Health (4)
• Acquired Cognitive Impairment (3)
• Brain Disorders (3)
• Dementia (3)
• HIV/AIDS (3)
• Alzheimer's Disease (2)
• Neurosciences (2)

2022

Prater LC, Simonetti JA, Knoepke CE, Polzer ER, Nearing KA, Lee T, Betz ME. Older adults and planning for firearm safety: A qualitative study of healthcare providers. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Dec 22. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18188. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36550590.
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Betz ME, Polzer ER, Knoepke CE, Prater LC, Simonetti JA, Lee TM, Meador LE, Nearing KA. Cars, Guns, Aging, and "Giving Up the Keys". Gerontologist. 2022 Nov 16:gnac142. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnac142. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36383376. PMID: 36383376
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Dryden EM, Kennedy MA, Conti J, Boudreau JH, Anwar CP, Nearing K, Pimentel CB, Hung WW, Moo LR. Perceived benefits of geriatric specialty telemedicine among rural patients and caregivers. Health Serv Res. 2022 Aug 31. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14055. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36054487
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Nearing KA, Adams HM, Alsphaugh J, Douglas SE, Feller TR, Fleak R, Moore V, Martin-Sanders S, Schultz TM, Stratton K, Sullivan JP, Van Sickle L, Yates JD, Yates TA, Matlock DD. Engaging the Wisdom of Older Veterans to Enhance VA Healthcare, Research, and Services. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Mar 29:1–11. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07076-x. Epub ahead of print. PMCID: PMC8960672.
PMID: 35349016
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Gustavson AM, LeDoux CV, Himawan M, Stevens-Lapsley JE, Nearing KA. Implementation of a rehabilitation model in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Preliminary data. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Feb 4. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17674. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35119693

2021

Kernan L, Dryden E, Pimentel C, Nearing K, Moo L. A Strategy Matching Tool for Boosting Implementation of Geriatric Telehealth Services in Rural CBOCs. Innov Aging. 2021 Dec 17;5(Suppl 1):120. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.458.
PMCID: PMC8680798
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Nearing K, Pimentel C, Dryden E, Kernan L, Moo L. Digital Divide Magnified for Older Veterans Living Off the Grid. Innov Aging. 2021 Dec 17;5(Suppl 1):119–20. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.457.
PMCID: PMC8681146
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Dryden E, Kernan L, Nearing K, Pimentel C, Moo L. Another Set of Eyes: Recipients’ Views of the Benefits of Geriatric Specialty Telehealth Services. Innov Aging. 2021 Dec 17;5(Suppl 1):119. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.456.
PMCID: PMC8680959
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Moo L, Hung W, Dryden E, Pimentel C, Kernan L, Nearing K. Qualitative Evaluation: GRECC Connect as a Method of Delivering Health Care to Rural Older Veterans. Innov Aging. 2021 Dec 17;5(Suppl 1):119. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.454.
PMCID: PMC8680985
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Polzer ER, Nearing KA, Knoepke CE, Matlock DD, Betz ME. Firearm access and dementia: A qualitative study of reported behavioral disturbances and responses. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Sep 29. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17496. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34590304
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Betz ME, Polzer E, Nearing K, Knoepke CE, Johnson RL, Meador L, Matlock DD. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Web-Based Caregiver Decision Aid (Safety in Dementia) for Firearm Access: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2021 Sep 22;5(9):e30990. doi: 10.2196/30990.
PMID: 34550082
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Polzer E, Nearing K, Knoepke CE, Matlock DD, McCourt A, Betz ME. "Firearm access in dementia: legal and logistic challenges for caregivers". Int Rev Psychiatry. 2021 Apr 1:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2021.1887098. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 33792478
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Current Grants

Workforce Development Engages Diverse Older Adults to Catalyze Innovative Approaches for Enhanced Recruitment and Retention

Grant number: 1R24AG071459
Funding amount: $558,329.00
Start/End date: 9/30/2021 - 6/30/2024
Funder: National Institute on Aging
NIH website: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10170897

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