The Building Bridges: Making a Difference in Long-Term Care initiative was conceived not as a series of seminars and conferences, but rather as an initiative to spawn development of a network of LTC researchers, policy leaders, providers, consumer representatives, and funders ultimately influencing the field beyond the initiative itself.

One way the initiative has encouraged continued dialogue and collaboration among a geographically dispersed group is through workgroups. Experience has demonstrated that the success of the workgroup – defined as engagement, participation, generation of a product, and/or expansion of professional connections – relies in large part on the initiative and leadership of volunteers.

Starting in 2008, the Building Bridges initiative has provided a small allotment of funds for stipends ranging up to $2000 to support a specific project or activity that advances the range of topics introduced over the course of the initiative. Our hope is that these stipends will provide interested individuals the resources to initiate collaborative activities of both personal and broad interest within the scope of the initiative.

Staff will continue to support the activities of the long-term care workgroup, both those with stipends and those undertaken voluntarily, by assisting with developing ideas, scheduling and promoting ‘events', preparing and disseminating meeting notes, updating web forums, and facilitating the sharing of information between calls.

Examples of past activities include: literature reviews, syntheses, issue briefs, presentations and discussions with experts, manuscript reviews, online forums, policy and measurement recommendations, and developing panel sessions for AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting.

Below is a list of topics introduced at the past colloquia:

• Technology and Aging Services
• Consumer-Directed Long-Term Care
• Linking Housing with Long-Term Care Service Delivery
• Quality Improvement in the Home Care Setting
• Workforce Issues
• Culture Change
• Long-Term Care Financing
• Transitions in Long-Term Care
• Aligning Medicaid & Medicare
• Long-Term Care Preparedness
• Informal Caregiving

Individuals interested in conducting a workgroup activity or project should contact Amanda Brodt at amanda.brodt@academyhealth.org. If you have an idea that could benefit from financial support, please submit your idea, expected ‘product', a brief timeline, and a budget for your stipend request.