All Five Bassett Healthcare Network Hospitals Earn Geriatric Emergency Room Accreditation

COOPERSTOWN — The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has awarded Bronze Level Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation to all five of Bassett Healthcare Network’s hospital emergency departments at A.O. Fox Hospital, Bassett Medical Center, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and O’Connor Hospital. This designation signifies that Bassett’s hospital emergency departments incorporate best practices identified by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society.

“Achieving this accreditation at each of our EDs is a mark of our commitment to providing exceptional care to the communities we serve,” says Matt Kleinmaier, MD, Chief of Emergency and Trauma Services at Bassett Healthcare Network. “Given the changing demographics of our region, this was an especially important project for us in 2024, and I am proud of our ED leadership team for working together to make this happen.”

As with many rural areas, senior citizens make up a large portion of the population. The New York State Department of Health estimates that in the four counties where Bassett’s five hospitals operate, 22.7% of residents are age 65 or older, compared to the 17.4% state average.

“In collaborating with ACEP and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) on our application, we identified numerous ways to improve our care delivery models and meet needs specific to our elderly patients,” explains Dr. Kleinmaier. “These opportunities span all aspects of care, from staff education to equipment availability to social work services. Our work on this project will help us screen for and treat issues commonly overlooked in elderly patients presenting to the ED, including mobility limitation, over-medication, and lack of access to adequate nutrition. Addressing these concerns will help improve outcomes in our treatment of this vulnerable population.”

ACEP granted all five hospitals a Level 3, or Bronze level, Geriatric ED status. This exemplifies that Bassett Healthcare Network hospitals provide superior staff education and training, establish specialized hospital policies, and stock equipment oriented to help patients over age 65. The network’s Level 3 Accreditation will remain in effect for three years, and then it may be renewed.