We are pleased to announce that Professionals Abroad, a division of Academic Travel Abroad (ATA), will provide travel services for The National Council on Aging (NCOA), delegation to Cuba in December of this year. The delegation will research “Services and Support for the Aging Population in Cuba.” As an NCOA Leadership Council Member, I am honored to have been selected as leader of this delegation and invite you to join me.

Despite limited resources, Cuba has made considerable strides in making certain that the nation’s elders receive the care they require in settings of their choice. The elders of Cuba have the attention and services of a primary physician and access to health professionals with special training in geriatrics. In recent years, Cuba has instituted a number of programs directed at prevention and slowing the onset of disabling chronic conditions. The delegates will hear from informed experts from official agencies, service providers and academics. Time will be reserved for individuals to pursue their questions and to meet with Cuban experts who will be eager to learn from delegates and share their insights, knowledge and experience. Site visits are included to see at first hand the dynamics of Cuba’s elders–both those with great resilience and those who require assistance.

As you may know travel to Cuba is restricted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Treasure Department. Each member of the delegation must be in compliance with the General License issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control authorizing full-time professionals to conduct a full-time schedule of research activities in Cuba with the likelihood that this research will be publicly disseminated. To ensure compliance, each participant in the program will be required to provide a resume and sign an affidavit attesting to their status as a full-time professional, paid or unpaid, in the field. During travel each delegation member will be given a copy of regulation that will serve as the license to travel authorized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

This delegation will convene in Miami, Florida on December 4 2010. The attached preliminary itinerary outlines the planned meetings. These meetings and the specific topics of discussion will be defined based upon the final research interests and make up of the team. Our delegation will depart for Cuba on December 4, 2010, returning to the United States on December 9, 2010. We will meet with our counterparts; participate in intimate dialogue and group meetings in support of researching the Services and Support for the Aging Population in Cuba.