Cooper University Health Care announced that the Emergency Department at Cooper University Hospital in Camden has been reaccredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), earning Level 3 (Bronze) Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA).
The designation, first obtained in 2022, recognizes Cooper’s commitment to delivering high-quality, specialized emergency care for older adults.
The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program was developed by ACEP to recognize emergency departments that meet rigorous standards for the care of older patients.
Accreditation signals to patients and families that an emergency department is equipped with the expertise, processes and environment needed to address the unique medical and social needs of aging adults.
Cooper’s GEDA accreditation reflects the leadership and collaboration of an interdisciplinary team, including Katherine Selman, M.D., Zack Cutaneo, MSN, RN and colleagues across emergency medicine, nursing and hospital operations.
“The needs of older adults in the emergency setting are complex and often distinct from those of younger patients,” said Michael E. Chansky, M.D. FAAEM, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper, and professor of Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.
“This accreditation affirms Cooper’s focus on providing age-appropriate, patient-centered care that prioritizes safety, dignity and better outcomes for our older community members.”
The GEDA program is the culmination of years of progress in geriatric emergency medicine. In 2014, ACEP partnered with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, the Emergency Nurses Association and the American Geriatrics Society to develop national guidelines for geriatric emergency care.
These guidelines recommend best practices such as geriatric-friendly equipment, specialized staff education and routine screening for conditions including delirium, dementia, fall risk and other age-related vulnerabilities.
The voluntary accreditation program includes three levels — similar to trauma center designations — and outlines more than two dozen best practices for geriatric emergency care.
To achieve Level 3 accreditation, emergency departments must demonstrate incorporation of many of these practices, provide interdisciplinary geriatric education and ensure the availability of geriatric-appropriate equipment and supplies.
