MidState Medical Center Emergency Department Earns Recognition for Improving Transitions in Patient Care

April 05, 2017

The Emergency Department at MidState Medical Center was recently awarded high honors for its successful Senior Emergency Care Services initiative. The initiative placed the team first in the Improved Transitions of Care category at Hartford HealthCare’s Patient Experience Collaborative, held on Friday, April 11. The event recognizes and showcases best-practices of care throughout the entire healthcare system.

Launched in May 2013, the goal of MidState’s senior-focused initiative is to provide patients over 65 years of age with the services needed to maintain their independence and overall health and well-being, creating a smooth transition from ED to home.

Nurses in the emergency department have completed Geriatric Emergency Nursing Education and other members of the team – including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, and case managers – have all received senior-specific training to enhance the care that seniors receive.

The assessment tool utilized by staff is one of the most important elements of the senior-friendly Emergency Department. When a patient over 65 years old comes to the Emergency Department at MidState Medical Center, they are not just treated for the ailment that brought them to the hospital. A multi-disciplinary team also performs an assessment to gauge the patient’s status and whether they may have medication issues, be a fall risk or suffer from ailments like dementia and depression. These assessments help gauge whether the person has other cognitive or functional issues that may require follow-up care before the condition worsens.

“We are so proud to have earned this recognition,” said Lynn Seiffert, RN, ED nurse manager. “We are committed to developing individualized care plans that best meet the patient’s needs, as well as making follow-up appointments with physicians, reviewing medications, and making any necessary referrals to community resources.”

To date, Emergency Department staff has screened thousands of patients.

Pictured in Photo Above: David Fichandler, Hartford HealthCare patient experience director; Dr. Donald Lombino, Emergency Department medical director; Marc Levesque, HHCSS senior resource case manager; Susan McGaughan, RN, MBA, NE-BC, Emergency Department business manager; Dr. Alan Weiner, Emergency Department associate director; Dana Garvey, RN; Lynn Amarante, former assistant vice president of emergency services; and Dr. Rocco Orlando, Hartford HealthCare chief medical officer.