Community Memorial Hospital – Ojai achieves Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

With a focus on providing top-quality care for the community’s oldest patients, the Emergency Department at Community Memorial Hospital – Ojai is proud to share that it has earned Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation.

 

Today, some 20 million seniors visit emergency rooms nationwide. With the number of older adults growing rapidly nationwide and a sizeable senior population living in the Ojai Valley, there’s a critical need for more older adult-focused care in the Ojai Valley. The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program is a national accreditation organization which strives to improve care for older adults in hospital emergency rooms and reduce hospital admissions and stays. 

 

“Our recent Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation exemplifies our commitment to not only meeting the greatest healthcare needs of our community, but also to providing a level of care that is equal to or greater than larger, more metropolitan hospitals,” said Ojai Hospital’s Chief Administrative Officer, Haady Lashkari.  

 

With this accreditation, Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai has demonstrated the application of best practices for older adults in its emergency department, and its focus on enhancing the health and well-being of the Ojai Valley’s aging population. The accreditation is for three years.

 

“Our Emergency Department is a vital resource for countless residents in the Ojai Valley, particularly those whose advanced age makes traveling for healthcare difficult or impossible,” said Bret McClure, Community Memorial Healthcare Emergency Department Director. “Our ED physicians and staff recognize this, and we are deeply committed to doing everything we can to achieve the best outcomes for these patients.” 

 

The process to attain the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation leads to high quality care for elders in the emergency department by promoting enhanced staffing, education for all staff, geriatric-focused policies and protocols, a senior-focused physical environment, and an interdisciplinary care team to improve the assessment of older adults. Additional supplies and equipment like mobility aids and enhanced strategies for transitions of care for seniors are also part of this effort. 

 

Community Memorial Healthcare is a nonprofit, independent health system serving the needs of Ventura County, California. It is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital – Ventura, Community Memorial Hospital – Ojai, and a network of primary and specialty care health centers across its service area. The organization is supported by the Community Memorial Foundation and the Ojai Valley Hospital Foundation. Visit mycmh.org for more information.