Paradise Valley Hospital takes senior emergency care to the next level by announcing today that they are now accredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program is the culmination of years of progress in the emergency care of older adults. In 2014, ACEP along with Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff to more routine screening for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.
“Prime Healthcare is focused on ensuring seniors have the best experience possible when coming to our hospitals, including shorter wait times when visiting our emergency department, so GEDA was the logical next step for Paradise Valley,” said Anne Xenos, Corporate Director of Senior Care for Prime Healthcare. “We are committed to being leaders in the healthcare community with our senior-focused service line, which provides tailored, well-coordinated care for older adults who visit our Emergency Department.
The voluntary GEDA program provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. To receive accreditation, an emergency department must incorporate a number of best practices for geriatric care, along with inter-disciplinary geriatric education, and have geriatric appropriate equipment and supplies available.
This accreditation demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to the delivery of excellent care for our aging adults,” said Paradise Valley Hospital CEO, Neerav Jadeja. “As an Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department, our approach to geriatric care allows us to provide tailored care for seniors who visit our emergency room. Senior adults can be assured that we have the necessary expertise, equipment, and personnel in place to provide superior, age-appropriate care.”
Some of the best practices embraced by the geriatric emergency departments include:
- Ensuring geriatric-focused education and interdisciplinary staffing
- Providing standardized approaches to care that address common geriatric issues Ensuring optimal transitions of care from the ED to other settings (inpatient, home, community-based care, rehabilitation, long-term care)
- Promoting geriatric-focused quality improvement and enhancements of the physical environment and supplies
“More and more of the patients we are seeing are seniors and older adults,” noted Jennifer Saunders, Paradise Valley Hospital Director of Emergency Services. “Having specifically trained doctors and nurses, and facilities and equipment appropriate for geriatric care, just makes sense. This allows all of us to do our jobs better, and that’s what’s best for the people we take care of.”
In addition to GEDA, Paradise Valley Hospital is a nine-time recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and placing the hospital among the top 10% in the Nation for Patient Safety for nine years in a row. Paradise Valley also holds a “Grade A” for patient safety excellence from The Leapfrog Group and has been certified by the American Heart Association and The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center.