Northern Nevada Medical Center Designated with Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation
Northern Nevada Medical Center (NNMC) was recently recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians as a Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department (GED). A geriatric emergency department is one that meets certain criteria to accommodate and care for the aging population. This model follows national best practices to require the satisfaction of criteria, including staffing and education, care processes, appropriate monitoring and improvement of outcome measures, and equipment and physical resources needed to care for this population.
“Our team is dedicated to remaining up to date on the most evidence-based care in all aspects of a patient’s care plan, including those that may not be clinically related,” said Katie Grimm, Chief Nursing Officer at Northern Nevada Medical Center. “Being recognized as a geriatric emergency department means our geriatric patients are provided with resources to ease the stress of their hospital visit.”
As part of the accommodations in a GED to care for the aging population, the ER at Northern Nevada Medical Center offers various resources to aid in a comfortable visit. These resources include paperwork in larger font, HIPAA-compliant discharge instructions provided to caregivers and the patient, bedside commodes to minimize fall risk, walking aids/devices, body warming devices/warm blankets and more.
Emergency Care at NNMC
To learn more about Emergency Care at NNMC, including Geriatric care, please visit our services page. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or seek your nearest emergency room.
“Accreditation as a geriatric emergency department was a large goal for our department and we are proud to have achieved the level of care necessary to be recognized as one,” said Wayne Hodgen, RN, Emergency Department Director at Northern Nevada Medical Center. “Nationally, emergency departments see more senior patients as part of the overall population served, and it is important we continue to educate ourselves and develop processes to accommodate this population.”
Northern Nevada Health System offers emergency services at five convenient locations in Reno and Sparks. If you are experiencing a life-threatening condition, like stroke or heart attack, please call 911 or visit the emergency department closest to you. Common conditions to seek care for at an emergency department include heart attack, stroke, chest pain, abdominal pain, broken bones, lacerations, flu, pneumonia, allergic reactions, sinus infection and more.