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BERMUDA RUN — Wake Forest Baptist Health — Davie Medical Center is the first hospital in the Triad, and the second in North Carolina, to receive Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). The Level 3 Bronze accreditation certifies that elder patients utilizing Davie Medical Center are cared for by hospital staff who are trained and prepared to care for them in a conscientious and comprehensive manner.

In the hospital’s emergency department, geriatric-friendly policies and processes, along with special equipment and rooms, aim to improve emergency care for older adults. Davie Medical Center is one of about 75 GEDA-accredited hospitals nationwide.

“Davie Medical Center recognizes the responsibility we have to our patients and community — and this is one additional step forward in caring for older adults,” said Bret Nicks, M.D., chief medical officer at Davie Medical Center and professor of emergency medicine.

“It’s more than just providing care, but how it is provided that matters,” Nicks said. A geriatric-friendly emergency department “recognizes the unique aspects of providing care for older adults and puts that knowledge into action.”

With more than 60 percent of national hospital admissions for patients over 65 coming through the emergency department, accreditation can help hospitals focus on factors leading to fewer hospitalizations and more successful outcomes after discharge.

Kim Stanbery, D.N.P., chief nursing officer for Davie Medical Center, led the hospital’s accreditation efforts. “As a resident of Davie County, I am passionate about the care we are able to provide to this community”, Stanbery said. “Patients of all ages are cared for within our walls, but this additional certification will help the quality of care offered specifically to our aging population.”

ACEP launched the accreditation program in 2018 to improve and standardize emergency care for older patients. Working in tandem with this new certification for the emergency department, Davie Medical Center also houses an Acute Care for Elders unit which serves patients 65 years and older by providing a multi-disciplinary, patient-focused strategy aimed at improving patient outcomes.