Verification indicates Kent Hospital has met evidence-based standards to provide
high-quality surgical care for older adults
(Warwick, RI) -- Kent Hospital announces that they have received verification under the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program. Fewer than 1% of hospitals receive this prestigious designation. Kent is the 25th hospital in the nation, and the first community hospital in New England, to earn it.
Older adults have distinct physical and social vulnerabilities, as well as unique goals for their care, that warrant a more thorough and individualized approach to surgery. 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 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% 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.
About Kent Hospital
Kent Hospital, a Care New England hospital, is a 359-bed, acute care hospital. It is Rhode Island’s second-largest hospital, serving approximately 300,000 residents of central Rhode Island. A teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kent offers training programs in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and gastroenterology. Kent’s Emergency Department (ED), categorized as a high-volume ED by CMS, sees approximately 55,000 patients a year and is one of four hospitals in Rhode Island to perform emergency angioplasty care for heart attacks. In addition, Kent Hospital has a long-standing clinical affiliation with Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital offering high-quality, local medical care for our patients needing cardiology, pulmonary, thoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, and other surgical services. Kent Hospital has a strong commitment to becoming age-friendly to provide the highest quality care for older adults. Kent Hospital’s Silver-Level 2 Geriatric ED Accreditation and Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit are examples of Kent Hospital’s Healthy Aging and Serious Illness service line, meant to diagnose, treat, and manage many of the specific issues that are impacting the health and quality of life of the community’s aging population.
About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 88,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
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