San Francisco VA Medical Center earns prestigious Silver Level Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

Print

The ACEP accreditation is awarded to emergency departments that have integrated and sustained initiatives focused on improving the care of older persons. Under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Garber and an interdisciplinary team, the SFVAMC Emergency Department has improved education about geriatric syndromes among emergency department providers, brought on dedicated staff to help care for older Veterans, updated treatment areas to be more age friendly, and developed policies and protocols to improve referrals to the right services in the VA system. “Older adults visit emergency departments at higher rates, and they often present with multiple chronic conditions and face more social and physical challenges than the general population,” says Paul Krivela, President of ACEP.

The interdisciplinary team encompasses members from within the SFVAMC Emergency Department, Geriatrics, Physical Therapy, Nutrition, Social Work, IT, and Pharmacy Departments. Dr. Kenneth Lam, SFVAMC Geriatrician and the Quality Improvement Lead for the initiative who worked alongside Dr. Garber spoke of the immense team effort it took to earn the Silver Level accreditation: “The emergency department at the SFVA has made huge strides in improving recognition and management of geriatric syndromes, and I'm proud that their hard work is being recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians with this accreditation.”