DAYTON, Ohio – Premier Health has again been awarded a system-wide Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). This distinction recognizes emergency departments that provide excellent care for older adults. The health system previously achieved this accreditation in 2020 and was the first system in Ohio and the second in the nation to do so.
The bronze standard Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation applies to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton; Miami Valley Hospital Austin Boulevard Emergency Center in Miamisburg; Miami Valley Hospital Jamestown Emergency Center; Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville; Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy; and now also includes Miami Valley Hospital Beavercreek Emergency Center, which opened in 2022.
The accreditation process included a panel review by a team of ACEP-appointed physician reviewers and a board of governors’ review.
The voluntary GEDA program, whose three levels are similar to trauma center designations, provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators. The GEDA guidelines create criteria for staffing, equipment, education, policies and procedures, follow-up care, and performance improvement measures. When implemented collectively, a geriatric ED can expect to see improvements in patient care, customer service, and staff satisfaction.
“For our aging population, health care needs are evolving, and it’s imperative that our emergency departments evolve with them,” said Jeremy Moore, MD, emergency medicine physician at Premier Health and chair of Premier Health’s Emergency and Trauma Institute. “Being awarded a system-wide geriatric emergency department accreditation is not just a commitment to excellence. It’s a lifeline for seniors, ensuring that they receive the specialized care and compassion they deserve in their most vulnerable moments.”
The Level 3 GEDA bronze distinction identifies those emergency departments with one or more specific initiatives that are reasonably expected to elevate the level of care for senior citizens.
About Premier Health: Based in Dayton, Ohio, Premier Health has a mission to improve the health of the communities it serves. Home to the nation’s 31st largest hospital, the region’s only adult Level I trauma center and the largest locally-based clinical laboratory, Premier Health continues to build upon a more than 130-year legacy of providing clinical excellence and compassionate care to friends and neighbors across Southwest Ohio. The health system offers award-winning care at five hospital sites: Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with additional inpatient sites at Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville and Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County. In addition, Premier Health provides a comprehensive range of care choices at its seven emergency departments, eight Urgent Care locations, and more than 130 outpatient locations and affiliated primary care and specialty physician offices, as well as home health, mental health, and substance abuse services.