NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx CEO Dr. Christopher Mastromano announced Monday that the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has accredited the hospital’s Emergency Department as a Geriatric Emergency Department. The senior-friendly designation means that NCB’s Emergency Department has instituted new geriatric education, guidelines, screenings, equipment, supplies, and specialized training for staff to detect vulnerabilities in older adults.
More than one million New York City residents are 60 years or older, a population that is expected to grow by more than 40% over the next two decades. ACEP is a professional organization of emergency medicine physicians in the U.S. The accreditation is recognized nationwide.
“NCB is a community hospital, and we strive every day to best serve the needs of our community,” said Mastromano. “Over 160,000 seniors live in The Bronx, and we want them to know that our doctors, nurses, and medical personnel are specially trained to understand their conditions and help them in their time of need.”
Requirements for the Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation begin with demonstrating that the participating emergency department includes both a physician and nurse with specialized geriatric training on staff, meets environmental criteria such as easy patient access to water and mobility aids, and has a geriatric quality improvement program.
“Older adults visit emergency departments at a higher rate, and they often present with multiple chronic conditions and face more social and physical challenges than the general population,” said Dr. Paul Kivela, president of ACEP. “Seniors who visit ACEP-accredited emergency departments can be assured that the facilities have the necessary expertise, equipment, and personnel to provide optimal care. This initiative will greatly enhance geriatric emergency care and help ease older patients into their daily lives after an emergency.”
Approximately 60% of Medicare patients admitted to the hospital arrive through the emergency department, according to 2013 RAND research, and multiple studies in Annals of Emergency Medicine note the vulnerability of older adults after an emergency visit.
Mastromano recognized the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Frederick Nagel, MD, MPH and Joseph Wiley, who led a team of inter-disciplinary leaders to achieve this accreditation.
“Older adults have complex health needs and an Emergency Department visit can be a scary experience. The Emergency Department at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx has worked hard over the past year to enhance the care it delivers to the elderly. We are very proud of our new accreditation as a geriatric emergency department in recognition of our exceptional care of vulnerable patients,” said Nagel.
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