HONOLULU – The Queen’s Medical Center-Punchbowl is the first hospital in Hawaii and only the fifth in the nation to be accredited as providing the highest level of care to the geriatric population as a Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
The program is part of an effort to improve and standardize emergency care for the nation’s older patients and builds on the financial support and foundational work of the Gary and Mary West Health Institute and The John A. Hartford Foundation.
“This is an honor for our Queen’s ohana,” said Daniel Cheng M.D., MPH, Assistant Chief and Medical Director of The Queen’s Medical Center Emergency Department. “This recognition by ACEP affirms The Queen’s Health Systems Emergency Department’s commitment to the mission and vision of providing superior patient care to all people of Hawaii and, specifically, our kupuna.”
“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 Paul Kivela, M.D., MBA, FACEP, president of ACEP. “Seniors who visit ACEP accredited emergency departments can be assured that the facilities have the necessary expertise, equipment and personnel in place to provide optimal care. This initiative will greatly enhance geriatric emergency care, especially in rural areas, and help ease older patients back into their daily lives after an emergency occurs.”
The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program promotes the goals of providing quality care for older adult patients. These include enhanced staffing and education, geriatric-focused policies and protocols, including transitions of care, quality improvement and outcomes and more efficient preparation of the treatment area.
The voluntary accreditation includes three levels (similar to trauma designations) with specific criteria and goals for clinicians and administrators. Requirements begin with demonstrating that the participating emergency department (1) includes both a physician and nurse with specialized geriatric training on staff, (2) meets environmental criteria such as easy patient access to water and mobility aids and (3) has a geriatric quality improvement program.
The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu received a Level 2 designation and both Molokai General Hospital and North Hawaii Community Hospital received Level 3 accreditations.
Visit www.acep.org/GEDA/Home for more information.
