SD News: California’s first accredited geriatric emergency department arrives in La Jolla

The Gary and Mary West Emergency Department at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla has been accredited as a geriatric emergency department by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). The accreditation is the first of its kind and is part of an effort to improve the quality and standards of emergency care provided to the nation’s older patients. It builds upon the foundational work and support of the Gary and Mary West Health Institute and The John A. Hartford Foundation to enhance geriatric emergency care across the country.

“This recognition is an acknowledgement of the superior, tailored care we provide to any senior who arrives in our emergency department,” said Vaishal Tolia, M.D., MPH, FACEP, medical director of the Emergency Department at UC San Diego Health and director of the Gary and Mary West Senior Emergency Care Unit at Jacobs Medical Center. “Our comprehensive, team-based approach is what makes us so successful in caring for older adults.”

“We’re very pleased the Gary and Mary West Emergency Department at UC San Diego Health is leading the way in California as the first-in-the-state to be accredited by ACEP in recognition of its commitment to delivering high-quality geriatric care,” said Shelley Lyford, president, and CEO of the West Health Institute. “There is a tremendous opportunity to catalyze broader adoption of senior-appropriate acute care models so every older adult across the nation has access to emergency care tailored to their needs.”

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