Wexner Medical Center First in Midwest to Earn Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

COLUMBUS, Ohio –The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Emergency Department is the first in the Midwest to achieve Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) – the gold standard. 

 

“Ohio State is leading the nation in quality care for older adults. Seniors who visit our emergency department can be assured that our facility has the necessary expertise, equipment and personnel in place to provide optimal care,” David McQuaid, chief executive officer at The Ohio State University Health System, said. “We’re committed to providing exceptional geriatric emergency care and to improving the quality of life for our aging patients.”

 

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, and the level of GEDA accreditation achieved depends on how many of these best practices an emergency department is able to meet. 

 

“This accreditation signals to the public that our institution is focused on the highest standards of care for our communities’ older adults,” said Dr. Mark Angelos, chairman of Emergency Medicine at Ohio State’s College of Medicine. “We’re proud to be the first Level 1 geriatric emergency department in the Midwest.”

 

A Level 1 emergency department must incorporate 20 or more of these best practices, along with tracking related metrics, providing inter-disciplinary geriatric education, and having geriatric appropriate equipment and supplies available. 

 

“We know from national data that up to one-third of our older patients will have to return to the emergency department within 90 days. This means that emergency departments are missing something critical about the care of these patients,” said Dr. Lauren Southerland, director of geriatric emergency care. “Ohio State has focused resources to help identify and manage problems to help our patients recover and thrive.” 

 

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) launched the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program to recognize emergency departments that provide excellent care for older adults.

 

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