Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital—Ozaukee Campus (CSMO) has become the first hospital in Wisconsin to achieve Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
“Our hospital is focused on the highest standards of care for older adults,” Ascension Wisconsin Geriatric Nurse Navigator Michelle Hogan said. “We hope this fills a need for high quality emergency medical care in what's considered to be an aging county.”
Almost 30% of the Ozaukee County population is 60-years-old or older. CSMO itself receives more than 50% of patients who are older than 65 each month.
"Our county has an aging population. We've seen an increase in demand for our entire community, especially our Subacute Rehab," Newcastle Place Health Center Administrator Geoffry Minarik said. "Whether it is for our own residents or providing rehabilitation services for the community, it's reassuring to know that there is an emergency department equipped to give our residents the best care possible, if necessary."
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 can meet. A Level 1 emergency department must incorporate many of these best practices, provide interdisciplinary geriatric education and have geriatric-appropriate equipment and supplies available.
Some of those improvements and training include:
- No glare, no skid flooring
- Specialized lighting
- Bold face clocks
- Specialised mattresses
- Pressure relief pillows
- Larger selection of gowns to fit different needs depending on the patient
- Additional education and training in geriatric emergency care for emergency department associates
“We are proud to be able to provide this to our Ozaukee County community,” Hogan said. “We aim to provide the highest level of care and improve the health of our communities, especially to those most vulnerable.”
