VA Loma Linda receives Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation
PRESS RELEASE
February 10, 2023
Loma Linda , CA — VA Loma Linda Healthcare System received its Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, Jan. 17, making it one of only three accredited hospitals in San Bernardino County.
"Accreditation provides an excellent avenue to convey to our patients, colleagues, and staff that our program is outstanding and meets the inter-disciplinary geriatric standards set forth by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)," said Dr. Manavjeet Sidhu, emergency department-inpatient care service chief.
According to the 2021 Survey of Veteran Enrollees Health and Use of Health Care report, approximately 9 million Veterans are enrolled in the VA Health Care system, with around half of that population over 65.
Understanding and responding to the needs of the older Veteran population is vital for an organization that delivers healthcare to more than 78,000 Veterans.
As people get older, their medical needs can become more complex. The geriatric emergency department accreditation communicates to the patient that the entire team understands those needs and has an integrated, standardized process to provide an extraordinary level of care.
The medical team understands the healthcare needs of older Veterans.
Still, more importantly, the team took a deliberate step to ensure that the quality, safe care they delivery daily integrates the pinnacle of geriatric emergency medicine standards by pursuing accreditation.
"Accreditation also signals to our community that our institution is focused on the highest standards of care for our communities' older adults," said Sidhu.
Veterans can rest assured that when they're seeking emergency care at the VALLHS emergency department, the team is prepared to manage complex needs including chronic conditions and other physical and social challenges people over 65 face today.
Every Veteran, family member, and caregiver will benefit from the team’s geriatric-focused training and interdisciplinary staffing, standardized management of common geriatric issues, enhanced care coordination and transitioning from the ED to other settings, and an emphasis on improvements geared toward the needs of older Veterans. Successfully demonstrating top achievement in all those five areas garnered the ACEP Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation.
"The Emergency Department team worked hard to achieve this accreditation. It speaks to their commitment and dedication to our Veterans every day. Still, beyond that, it shows that we have a team committed to continuous quality improvement,” said Karandeep Sraon, VA Loma Linda Medical Center Director.
VA Loma Linda’s emergency team is committed to improving healthcare delivery and recognizes that a visit to the emergency department is not a cookie-cutter experience.
Although the very nature of an emergency department visit can be stressful, Veterans receiving care at the VA Loma Linda emergency department can take comfort in knowing that this team has already thought about and planned for your arrival.
The VA Loma Linda team is prepared to deliver safe, quality care, ensuring that every Veteran receives well-coordinated, age-tailored care at every encounter.
"We understand the needs of patients, and the fact that an independent organization evaluated and validated the team's effort is not only a win for the team but a big win for our Veterans," Sraon said.