So much has changed due to the pandemic, and even as vaccines are rolled out and the CDC loosens restrictions for vaccinated individuals, there are undoubtedly many changes still to come. But if I have gathered anything from this transformative year, it is that Pennsylvania Hospital’s resilient, adaptable, and intrepid team is undaunted by the challenges ahead.
One such challenges that hospitals across the nation are facing is the aging population. The U.S. Census Bureau, which has referred to this shift as the “graying of America,” estimates that by 2060, nearly a quarter of the population will be 65 or older. Because health care is not one-age-fits-all, PAH is making strides to respond to the growing needs that are unique to older adults.
Our Emergency Department has earned a geriatric accreditation (read more in this issue!), but that is only the latest piece of the puzzle. Led by Kevin M. Baumlin, MD, chair and medical director of Emergency Medicine, and Mary Pat Lynch, DNP, RN, administrator of the Cancer Service Line, the multidisciplinary COACH (Committee for Older Adult Care and Health) team has also been encouraging staff to participate in NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) education. This training helps clinician integrate patient-centered, evidence-based, and age-friendly practices into all of their approaches with older patients. Several quality improvement projects are also underway, including one centered on reducing falls.
All of this crucial work is guided by the “4Ms” identified by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement: What M atters to older adult patients, assessing and managing Mentation, promoting Mobility, and ensuring any prescribed Medications don’t interfere with the other Ms.
Just as Pennsylvania Hospital has become synonymous with exceptional women’s health and behavioral health care, we want our community to recognize us as a provider of excellent geriatric care. Thank you all for your flexibility and willingness to learn as we continue to take steps to build an age-friendly hospital.