Hackensack Receives Level 1 Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program

What you need to know

The Emergency Department at Hackensack University Medical Center recently received Level 1 accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program.

Hackensack’s Emergency & Trauma Center is now one of only 10 sites in the United States that has received GEDA’s Level 1 designation, which is the highest-level recognition awarded through the program.

About the GEDA Program

The voluntary GEDA program includes three levels, with Level 1 representing the highest designation. The ACEP launched the program with support from the Gary and Mary West Health Institute and the John A. Hartford Foundation to recognize emergency departments that provide excellent care for older adults.

The GEDA program provides a framework of specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target, including more than two dozen best practices. To achieve Level 1 GEDA status, Hackensack’s Emergency & Trauma Center demonstrated that it complies with many of the GEDA best practices, such as using geriatric-friendly equipment, providing specialized interdisciplinary training for team members, and performing routine screenings for delirium, dementia, fall risk and other vulnerabilities.