George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center's emergency department achieves new accreditation
The George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center’s Emergency Department achieved the bronze standard— level 3 geriatric emergency department (GED) accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
This accreditation was led by a remarkable team of inter-disciplinary leaders, including Dr. Sara Tarjan, and Anne Marie Beck, RN, CNL. The accreditation shows our Veterans and the community that we are focused on providing our older Veterans with the highest standard of emergency care.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a nationwide movement to improve emergency department care for older Veterans treated in VA Medical Centers and become the nation’s largest integrated health network with specialized geriatric emergency care. The initiative goals are to provide older Veterans with the best care while keeping them safe at home, mitgating risk in the community, and preserving their independence.
The VA Geriatric Emergency Department Initiative is a public-private collaboration between the VA, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the West Health Institute to establish 70 of the VA’s EDs as accredited GEDs. GEDs are better equipped to treat older adults with complex conditions, catch unmet care needs, and develop teamwork strategies to better coordinate emergency and follow-up care.