Summary
Ehlman’s research lies in the areas of nursing home quality, healthcare workforce and student attitudes about aging, where she published numerous peer-reviewed articles. Much of her current research focuses on the application of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Health Care 4Ms applications in primary care and community settings. Prior to moving to the University of Nevada, Reno, Ehlman's efforts have been awarded more than $10 million in training grants, both internally and externally, where she is principal investigator. The most significant award includes the $5 million, five-year federal grant awarded in 2024 from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) for the USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). Prior to this award, Ehlman successfully led a $3.7 million 5-year multi-sector HRSA GWEP project. Other federal training includes a CARES Act telehealth-funded initiative, funded by HRSA and connected with the GWEP, in the amount of $90,625. Additionally, Ehlman brought together a regional team to participate as a subawardee with Indiana University Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network funded at $70,000. Ehlman is a recent past member of the following councils/committees: Indiana Governor’s Council on Aging, a member of the Indiana Dementia State Plan Advisory Group, Chair of the Dementia State Plan Workforce subcommittee, member of the Indiana Multi-Sector Plan for Aging Research committee and Charles Ford Home in New Harmony, Indiana, board member.
Professional affiliations
- Sigma Phi Omega National Gerontology Honors Society, approximately 60 local university chapters
- Past president (elected), 2016 to 2017
- President (elected), 2014 to 2016
- President-elect (elected), 2013 to 2014
- Member-at-large (elected), 2011 to 2013
- Member, Gerontology Society of America, 2010 to present
Awards and major honors
- University of Southern Indiana Faculty Recognition Award, USI Alumni Association, 2022
- Keynote Faculty Convocation Speaker, University of Southern Indiana, October 11, 2019
- Dr. Jane Davis-Brezette Faculty Excellence Award, University of Southern Indiana faculty member who has contributed to the success of USI Athletics by mentoring student athletes and helping them to achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond, April 2019
- University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Nursing and Health Professions, University of Southern Indiana, May 2017
Classes taught
- PBH 470: Public Health and Aging
Selected sponsored research projects
- USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029 (funded, ongoing)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K. (from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) and Leahy, S.
- Funder: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA U1QHP53065‐01‐00)
- Amount: $5,000,000
- Summary: The goal of the project is to develop a healthcare workforce by integrating age- and dementia-friendly care to improve health outcomes of older adults in rural and medically underserved regions. Additionally, this funding supports innovative ways to address nursing home workforce shortages by creating clinical pipelines, including a Pre-Apprenticeship Program through the Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (OWBLA), as well as a U.S. Department of Labor- Registered Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Apprenticeship Program. The USI GWEP will also focus on new clinical partnerships with USI’s College of Nursing and Health Professions and work more closely with the Southwestern Indiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC), hosted at USI, to create employment pipelines for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) and Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) students in rural and medically underserved areas. Provides leadership and facilitation of a large collaborative grant steering committee, developing a meeting structure of workgroups to advance the work plan and ensure partners have opportunity to weigh in on implementation decisions, including how agency capacities and systems can be leveraged to accomplish GWEP objectives. Manages three subawards; Responsive to the funder in communications and regular participation in funder meetings; Responsible for close monitoring of budgets and works with supportive university offices including the Business Office, Office of Sponsored Projects and Research, Procurement, Accounting and Travel; Experienced with the university's financial management system and service as a college financial manager of funds.
- USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K., Butler, R., Nimkar, S. and Valadares, K.
- Funder: HRSA (U1QHP33084)
- Amount: $3,700,000
- Summary: The goal of the project is to develop a healthcare workforce that maximizes patient and family engagement and improves health outcomes of older adults by integrating geriatrics in primary care. Provides leadership and facilitation of a large collaborative grant steering committee, developing a meeting structure of workgroups to advance the workplan and ensure partners have opportunity to weigh in on implementation decisions, including how agency capacities and systems can be leveraged to accomplish GWEP objectives. Manages three subawards; Responsive to the funder in communications and regular participation in funder meetings; Responsible close monitoring of budgets and works with supportive university offices including the Business Office, Office of Sponsored Projects and Research, Procurement, Accounting and Travel; experienced with the university’s financial management system and service as a college financial manager of funds.
- Nursing Home Workforce Supplement, GWEP, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K.
- Funder: HRSA (U1QHP33084)
- Amount: $116,000
- Summary: To support future nursing home workforce development through curriculum development and training resources.
- Nursing Home Workforce Supplement, GWEP, July 15, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K. and Leahy, S.
- Funder: HRSA (U1QHP33084)
- Amount: $47,000
- Summary: To support future nursing home workforce development through curriculum development and training resources.
- National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network (NNHCAN) ECHO, November 1, 2020 to March 30, 2021 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K.
- Sub-awardee: Indiana University
- Amount: $70,000
- Summary: To offer nursing home opportunities to discuss facility challenges faced during the pandemic with experts through Project ECHO.
- USI GWEP COVID-19 Response Supplement, May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K. and Leahy, S.
- Funder: HRSA (T1MHP39039)
- Amount: $90,625
- Summary: To prevent, prepare and respond to the coronavirus disease 2019.
- Building a Dementia-Competent Nursing Home Workforce, 2018 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K. and Nolan, B.T.
- Funder: Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH CMP 2018-02)
- Amount: $789,000
- Summary: To build a dementia-competent certified nursing assistant (CNA) workforce in 25 CNA programs in Indiana in collaboration with Teepa Snow’s PAC program, advance knowledge and skills among certified dementia trainers and coordinate dementia education for nursing home staff orientation.
- Advance Care Planning in Southwest Indiana Nursing Homes (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Valadares, K. and co-investigators: Ehlman, M. K. and Pease, M.
- Funder: Indiana State Department of Health
- Amount: $332,360
- Summary: To collaborate with 15 nursing homes and train 95 nursing home staff members as Respecting Choices and Last Steps facilitators and to promote conversations supporting the completion of POST forms among residents in Indiana nursing homes.
- Positive Approach to Dementia Care in Southwest Indiana, 2016 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K.
- Funder: Indiana State Department of Health Amount: $75,000
- Summary: To collaborate with 11 nursing homes and certify 22 nursing home staff members as PAC Certified Independent Trainers and Coaches resulting in 2,020 nursing home staff participants from the 13 participating nursing homes attending 201 PAC in-services or huddles.
- Community Transformation Plan, July 2012 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigator: Ehlman, M. K. and Metzger, R.
- Funder: Subaward through Welborn Baptist Foundation, CDC Amount: $82,000
- Summary: To partner with the local Area Agency on Aging and build a bilingual online senior resource guide for a seven-county area in southwest Indiana.
- Home Modification: Building Ramps to Promote Independent Living, May 2010 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigators: Ehlman, M. K., Conners, C. and Friona, J.
- Funder: Home Depot Amount: $5,000
- Summary: Written in conjunction with the local Area Agency on Aging (SWIRCA & More) to provide seed money for SAWS program.
- Assessing the Benefits of Bladder Ultrasound Scanners in Nursing Homes, 2008 (funded, completed)
- Principal investigators: Ehlman, M. K., Coudret, N., Dugger, R., Eggleston, B., Mathis, S. and Wilson, A.
- Funder: Indiana State Department of Health
- Amount: $37,285
- Summary: To collaborate with four nursing homes to train staff in urinary incontinence and bladder ultrasound scanner utilization.
Selected publications
- Ehlman, M. K., Leahy, S., Lawrence, R.** & Evans, D. (2025). Integrating AAA care coordinators in primary care for dementia support: Implementation challenges and lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(4), 506.
- Standiford Reyes, L., Ehlman, M. K., Leahy, S. & Lawrence, R.** (2025). A university’s role in developing a regional network of dementia friendly communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(5), 721.
- Moriello, G., Ehlman, M. K. & Ligon, M. (2024). Life is always learning: A qualitative analysis of undergraduate student and older adult reflections on an oral history project. Educational Gerontology, 1-13.
- Valadares, K., Smith, W., Leahy, S., Ehlman, M. K. & Arnold, R., Artz, J. (2022). Adapting primary care workflows to promote advance care planning. The Annals of Family Medicine.
- Ehlman, M. K., Nimkar, S., Nolan, B., Thomas, P., *Caballero, C. & Snow, T. (2018). Health workers’ knowledge and perceptions on dementia in skilled nursing homes: A pilot implementation of Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care certification course. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 38(3), 190-197.
- Ehlman, M. K., *Green, J., Wilson, G. & McCullough, J. (2017). Click and care: Academic integration of a nursing home electronic health records system. The Journal of Health Administration Education, 34(4), 601-609.
- Reynolds, E., Daum, D., Frimming, R. & Ehlman, M. K. (2016). Pickleball transcends the generations in Southwest Indiana: A university and Area Agency on Aging partnership changing the face of aging. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 14(3), 242-251.
- Arvin, M. K., Ehlman, M. K., McCullough, J. & Ramos, E. (2015). An interprofessional education nursing home dining simulation promotes changes in student attitudes. Health and Interprofessional Practice, 2(4), 1-8.
- Ehlman, M. K., Ligon, M. & Moriello, G. (2014). The impact of intergenerational oral history on perceived generativity in older adults. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 12(1), 40-53.
- Ligon, M., Ehlman, M. K., Moriello, G., *Russo, C. & *Miller, K. (2014). Validation of the Attitude-Older Adult and Aging-Visual Analogue Scales (At-O-A). Educational Gerontology, 40(8), 572-583.
- Mathis, S., Ehlman, M. K., Dugger, R., Harrawood, A. & Kraft, K. (2013). Bladder Buzz: The effect of a 6-week evidence-based staff education program on knowledge and attitudes regarding urinary incontinence in a nursing home. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 44(11).
- Ehlman, M. K. & Ligon, M. (2012). The application of a generativity model for older adults. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 74(4), 331-344.
- Ehlman, M. K., Wilson, A., Dugger, R., Eggleston, B., Coudret, N. & Mathis, S. (2012). Nursing home staff members’ attitudes and knowledge about urinary incontinence: The impact of technology and training. Urologic Nursing, 32(4), 205-213.
- Ehlman, M. K., Ligon, M. B., Moriello, G., Welleford, E. A. & Schuster, K. (2011). Oral history in the classroom: A comparison of traditional and online gerontology classes. Educational Gerontology, 37(9), 772-790.
- Ligon, M. B., Ehlman, M. K., Moriello, G. & Welleford, E. A. (2009). Oral history in the classroom: Fostering positive attitudes toward older adults and the aging process. Journal of Aging, Humanities and the Arts, 1(3), 1-14.
*primary advisor or mentor for student author
**student author
Education
- Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences, Gerontology Concentration, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002 to 2008
- MBA, Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1997 to 2000
- MSW in Long Term Care and Social Work in the Health Care Sitting, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1994 to 1996
- B.A. in History, Quincy University, Quincy, Illinois, 1988 to 1992