The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Lebanon VA Medical Center (Lebanon VAMC) has earned accreditation as a geriatric emergency department from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program recognizes emergency departments that provide excellent care for older adults.

The ACEP launched its GEDA program in 2018. The program is part of an effort to improve and standardize emergency care for the nation's older patients. The GEDA program promotes the goals of providing quality care for older adult patients. These goals include enhanced staffing and education, geriatric-focused policies and protocols, and more efficient preparation of the treatment area.

The voluntary GEDA program, which includes three levels similar to trauma center designations, provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. The accreditation process provides more than two dozen best practices for geriatric care, and the level of GEDA accreditation achieved depends upon how many of these best practices an emergency department is able to implement. Lebanon VAMC achieved the level 3 status, meaning it incorporates many best practices, provides interdisciplinary geriatric education, and has geriatric-appropriate equipment and supplies available.

Local veterans may be eligible to receive care and benefits from the U.S. VA. To learn more, call 717-272-6621, ext. 6000.

For more information about the Lebanon VAMC, visit http://www.va.gov/lebanon-health-care.