COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has awarded bronze-level geriatric emergency department (ED) accreditation to all five of Bassett Healthcare Network’s hospital emergency departments at A.O. Fox Hospital, Bassett Medical Center, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and O’Connor Hospital, Bassett announced. The designation signifies that the emergency departments incorporate best […]
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has awarded bronze-level geriatric emergency department (ED) accreditation to all five of Bassett Healthcare Network’s hospital emergency departments at A.O. Fox Hospital, Bassett Medical Center, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and O’Connor Hospital, Bassett announced.
The designation signifies that the emergency departments incorporate best practices identified by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society.
“Achieving this accreditation at each of our EDs is a mark of our commitment to providing exceptional care to the communities we serve,” Bassett Healthcare Network Chief of Emergency and Trauma Services Matt Kleinmaier said in the announcement. “Given the changing demographics of our region, this was an especially important project for us in 2024, and I am proud of our ED leadership team for working together to make this happen.”
The New York State Department of Health estimates that in the four counties where Bassett’s hospitals operate, 22.7 percent of residents are 65 or older. That compares with the state average of 17.4 percent.
“In collaborating with ACEP and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) on our application, we identified numerous ways to improve our care-delivery models and meet needs specific to our elderly patients,” Kleinmaier said. “These opportunities span all aspects of care, from staff education to equipment availability to social-work services. Our work on this project will help us screen for and treat issues commonly overlooked in elderly patients presenting to the ED, including mobility limitation, over medication, and lack of access to adequate nutrition. Addressing these concerns will help improve outcomes in our treatment of this vulnerable population.”
All five hospitals received a Level 3, or Bronze level, Geriatric ED status. This shows that the hospitals provide superior staff education and training, establish specialized hospital policies, and stock equipment oriented to help patients over age 65. The accreditation is in effect for three years, and then it can be renewed.
Through its hospitals and other facilities, Bassett Healthcare Network serves a 5,600-square-mile region in upstate New York.
