American College of Emergency Physicians Recognizes Adventist Health in Hanford and Selma for Senior-friendly Care
Emergency teams earn national accreditation for measures protecting elderly patients.
Senior patients visiting the Adventist Health emergency departments in Hanford and Selma are receiving additional services to protect them during and after their hospital visit, earning the emergency teams national Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
“[This] accreditation signals to the public that your institution is focused on the highest standards of care for your communities’ older adults,” Sandra Schneider, MD, the college’s senior vice president of clinical affairs, and Kevin Biese, MD, GEDA accreditation team chair, wrote in a letter to Andrea Kofl, MSN, president of Adventist Health services in the Central Valley, on July 13, 2023. The American College of Emergency Physicians, the national medical society representing emergency medicine, is the leading advocate for emergency physicians, their patients and the public.
“We are deeply honored to receive this accreditation from a leading national physician organization,” said Gurvinder Kaur, MD, chief medical officer for Adventist Health in the Central Valley.
To earn the distinction, the Adventist Health Hanford and Selma emergency teams follow specific criteria for caring for senior patients, she said. “Because a simple fall can have a devastating impact on an elderly patient’s health and life, our team goes the extra mile to evaluate all senior patients for that risk. The evaluation results give the patient’s doctors the information they need to order services such as physical therapy when needed to prevent a fall in the future.”
Other measures include making walkers, food and other equipment and supplies available 24 hours a day for patients in need and designating physician and nursing champions to advocate for senior patients and educate their peers.
“Dr. Dane Zappa and registered nurses Elaine McMahon, Courtney Mello and Jennifer Sheldon are passionate about ensuring our patients receive the very best care,” Kaur said. “This extra level of service can make a significant difference in our patients’ emergency experience and lives.”
The Adventist Health medical centers in Hanford and Selma are part of Adventist Health, a faith-based nonprofit health system that also operates medical centers in Reedley and Tulare and medical offices in Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Madera and Kern counties. Emergency teams at Adventist Health’s Reedley and Tulare medical centers are also working toward geriatrics accreditation.
