![[CREDIT: CNE] Kent Hospital has earned the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification for its Geriatric Surgery Facility.](https://e8dgfhu6pow.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Kent-Hospital-Baby-Friendly-USA.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
WARWICK, RI— The American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program has named Kent Hospital a verified geriatric surgery facility, the first New England hospital and 25th in the nation to earn the designation.
The GSV program improves surgical care and outcomes for older adults by promoting comprehensive patient- and family-centered care, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, and facilitating evidence-based practices.
The approach is tailored toward older adults’ distinct physical and social vulnerabilities and unique goals for their care, warranting a more thorough and individualized approach to surgery, according to an announcement about the designation from Kent Hospital.
Kent Hospital’s Geriatric Surgery Program
Kent states its program focuses on the overall health and treatment goals of older adults, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluations before surgery, improved treatment plans, and highlighting the significance of discharge and postoperative care plans to ensure continuous care throughout the surgical journey.
“The population of Americans aged 65 and older has grown by 34 percent over the past decade, and by 2030, one in five Americans will be over the age of 65,” said Dr. Paari Gopalakrishnan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kent Hospital. “In response to this demographic shift, Kent Hospital has made a strategic investment in older adult care. We have placed great emphasis on our Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit, the Silver-Level 2 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA), and now the GSV designation, all part of our commitment to excellence in senior care. Caring for our community is our mission at Kent Hospital, and as our community ages, we are fully prepared to meet their evolving healthcare needs.”
“Earning the Geriatric Surgery Verification certification from the American College of Surgeons is a proud milestone for our surgical team and is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to providing the highest standard of care to older adults,” said Dr. Melissa Murphy, Executive Chief of Surgery, Care New England, Director, Geriatric Surgery Program. “This achievement, along with the ACE Unit and GEDA, reinforces our vision to lead in age-friendly surgical care.”
As a verified geriatric surgery facility, Kent Hospital has met the standards as defined in the Optimal Resources for Geriatric Surgery manual, which helps ensure the most effective use of surgical care for a vulnerable aging population. These standards are evidence-based and define resources and processes that hospitals must have in place to perform operations effectively, efficiently, and safely for older adults. The standards are also patient-centered, so hospitals can always prioritize what matters most to individual patients regarding their needs and treatment goals. The GSV program has been shown to reduce incidents of delirium and shorten the average length of stay in the hospital after an operation.
As an ACS-verified hospital, Kent Hospital is also an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know Kent is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.
“ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience, and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, Kent Hospital has shown a commitment to providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating itself to continuous self-improvement,” said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.
Hospitals interested in becoming verified by the GSV program can find more information on the ACS website.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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