Johnson County GERTI

About Us

Organizational Background

GERTI (Geriatric Education Resource & Training Institute) is the educational arm of Friends of Johnson County Nursing Center, (JCNC), Inc. GERTI's mission is to provide clinical and educational opportunities and resources in geriatric medicine and gerontology for care providers who will serve the older population. JCNC's mission is to provide the best possible long-term care services to Johnson County residents, including residents with limited assets.

GERTI and JCNC were established in January of 2003 as a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. The nursing center has been in continuous operation since 1863 and began as the county poor farm, but due to changes in county government, came out from under the county’s governance although it still remains in operation within the county’s building.

Currently GERTI offers an Advanced Education in Long-Term Care course to equip everyone who works in long-term care for greater success, job satisfaction, and retention. To our knowledge it is the only such training institute in the U.S.

Our first course was launched on October 13, 2003. Support from the Kansas Department on Aging (KDOA) allowed us to take our Advanced Education Course for Long-term Care to four cities in rural Kansas in 2004-2005. Through continued support from KDOA in the 2005-2006 we took this program to seven rural locations across Kansas. In the 2007 KDOA grant cycle the program was taken to 11 rural locations. The dementia course has been taught at other locations in the Kansas City area and the Leadership Course is taken off-site to several remote cities in our home state each year.

GERTI is planning to further develop more on and off-site programs and to offer on-line continuing education courses.

Positive and Promising

GERTI has offered 87 cycles of the Advanced Education in Long-Term Care course. Over 1,400 people from 165 facilities have completed the GERTI trainings as of May 2008. All evaluations have been very high, including daily student evaluations, improvement from pre- to post-tests, and assessments by participants’ supervisors. Participants have included employees from long-term care, assisted living, and consulting companies. They work in all departments, from administrators to dietary assistants to chaplains to directors of nursing. All have been very enthusiastic about the value of the program.

Geriatric Education Resource & Training Institute
Director - Chris Osborn
11875 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 200
Olathe, KS 66061-7056

Phone: (913) 477-8251
Fax: (913) 477-8255