The Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, or CHAI, a new center emanating from the Center on Aging (founded in 1994 by the late Professor Robert L. Kane), resides in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and is led by Joseph A. Gaugler, PhD, and a team of experts. Given our membership’s interest in aging, UMRA is a supporting organization; and one of our own, Lynn C. Anderson, represents UMRA as a member of the Age-Friendly University of Minnesota Council, one of the CHAI initiatives.

Established in October 2020, the mission of CHAI, as noted on the center’s website, is “to advance interdisciplinary aging science; create meaningful and immersive educational experiences in aging; build and sustain innovations in care and services; and establish vibrant community, governmental, business, and individual collaborations to promote healthy aging for Minnesotans and people across the country.”To achieve its mission, the center supports research, education, and equity and community cores. 

The Research Core, led by Tetyana Shippee, PhD, is designed to advance programs of scholarship in aging, including dementia, long-term care, technology, and determinants of health and resiliency. There could be opportunities to participate in these research programs and to develop new areas of mutual interest with funding from UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees (PDGR) program. [Note: Shippee was one of the presenters for UMRA’s February 2020 workshop on senior housing and long-term care.]

The Education Core, led by Rajean Moone, PhD, provides academic programs and courses and opportunities for student support, and includes a graduate group in aging studies and the Age-Friendly University initiative. [Moone was one of the January 2021 UMRA A.M. presenters on Minnesota as an Age-Friendly University.] The Equity and Community Engagement Core (led by Robbin Frazier) builds relationships with communities, government, and business. Together, these two cores provide avenues for professional development and research with resources for educators, health professionals, and students interested in improving care for older adults.

I participated in a CHAI Aging Assembly in December that reviewed the center’s mission, core programs, and interest in engaging the University community and beyond. I found their commitment to the aging population and its well-being to be inspirational, and the continuing development of the center’s services, programs, and opportunities, briefly described here, to be information UMRA members would like to know.  

Please visit the CHAI website for more detailed information.

—Frank Cerra, MD, UMRA president