LBJ Hospital Received Geriatric Emergency Center Accreditation
Patricia Danauer presenting the American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation to Dr. Charles Maddow and Meghan Meyers
On June 7, 2022, LBJ Hospital celebrated receiving the American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. Receiving the award were Charles Maddow, MD FACEP, and Meghan Meyers, BSN, RN who together have been leading the effort for the past two years to implement standardized geriatric emergency care protocols, training, equipment, and quality improvement measures at LBJ. This formal ACEP accreditation solidifies LBJ Hospital’s commitment to providing the highest level of care to everyone including geriatric patients in the community. Patricia Danauer, executive vice president and administrator of Harris Health System’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital said, “Our administration and clinical teams are committed to providing the highest quality care to all of our patients, especially those needing unique medical and social services such as our older patients.”
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), with support from the Gary and Mary West Health Institute and John A. Hartford Foundation, launched the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program last September to recognize emergency departments that provide excellent care for older adults. The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Board of Governors declared that the management, personnel, and procedures of Lyndon B Johnson General Hospital’s Emergency Department exceeded the standards and requirements of the ACEP’s Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program and achieved the bronze standard- Level 3 accreditation. Focusing on the highest standards of care for older adults, the GEDA program includes three levels similar to trauma center designations based on various best practices for geriatric care.
Dr. Maddow said, “Our older patients require special medications, dosages of those medications, safety procedures, and other aspects of care to optimize their outcomes. Our older patients often are not able to fully verbalize what they need and are at risk, so we have to be prepared to provide those services to help people stay safe and recover.”
Dr. Charles Maddow, Meghan Meyers with Trey and Mervin Wyatt
In 2020, with the generosity of the Wyatt Ranches Foundation and a partnership with the UTHealth Houston Center for Healthy Aging and Dr. Carmel Dyer created the Wyatt Ranches Distinguished Professor in Geriatric and Palliative Medicine award. Dr. Maddow, the recipient of this distinguished professorship, is leading several geriatric emergency careEM projects along with Holly Holmes, MD, MS, and the UTHealth Center for Healthy Aging.