Memorial Hospital Pembroke Achieves Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) awarded Memorial Hospital Pembroke with Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA). This designation recognizes hospital emergency departments that provide excellent care for aging adults.

Led by a team of interdisciplinary leaders from Memorial Hospital Pembroke’s Emergency Department, including Associate Medical Director, Michael Estreicher, MD, FACEP; Director of Nursing, Jennifer Dunn, RN; and Nursing Manager, Cinthia Rogers, RN; this accreditation demonstrates the emergency department’s focus on the highest standards of care for older adults in South Florida.

“We are incredibly proud of our team for becoming an Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department. This accreditation solidifies our ongoing commitment to serve all our patients with the utmost of care,” said Felicia Turnley, CEO, Memorial Hospital Pembroke. “Our team delivers compassionate attention to the specialized care needs of our older population, as outlined by standardized evidence-based clinical practices.”

The GEDA program is the culmination of years of progress in 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.

To achieve this accreditation, Memorial’s team focused on standardizing approaches to care for commonly seen geriatric concerns.

“We recognize that our older patients who enter the emergency department are out of their home environment, and it’s important for our care teams to be trained in offering them supportive services,” said Dr. Estreicher. “This includes understanding their social environments and supports at home, helping the patients with mobility aids and fall prevention and conducting cognitive screenings for dementia or delirium.”

A priority goal of geriatric accredited emergency departments is to anticipate the medical, social, and emotional needs of older patients and develop innovative care delivery to meet their needs in the hospital and at home. This begins on arrival and continues throughout the emergency visit and discharge, signaling the importance of a rapid and accurate diagnosis, assessment of unmet needs, and identification of specific at-risk indicators. One of the key priorities involves a care team from various specialties who are trained to identify potential risks that trigger interventions to link the patient to crucial services.

The voluntary GEDA program, which includes three levels similar to trauma center designations, provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. The accreditation process provides more than two dozen best practices for geriatric care. The GEDA Level 3 signifies excellence in older adult care as represented by four or more geriatric specific initiatives that are developed to elevate the level of geriatric care, implemented by nurses and physicians who have achieved certification in geriatric emergency care.