PROVIDENCE – Care New England Health System’s Kent County Memorial Hospital and the health system’s Warwick primary care practice for older adults are among the nearly 2,000 health care sites in the United States to join Age-Friendly Health Systems.
All CVS Health Corp.’s MinuteClinic locations in the Ocean State have joined the movement as well.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and led by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Its primary goal, according to JAHF and IHI, is to prioritize issues that matter most to older patients, including medication, mental status and mobility.
The COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of urgency to streamlining care for seniors, its leaders say.
“There has never been a more critical time to prioritize adoption of evidence-based care of older adults,” said Dr. Kedar Mate, CEO and president of Institute for Healthcare Improvement. “We are learning and improving care daily through the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, and that will fortify our health care systems for the future. I am heartened by the increase in Age-Friendly participants and their commitment to better care for older adults.”
Health care organizations that are interested in joining can learn more at http://www.ihi.org/Engage/Initiatives/Age-Friendly-Health-Systems/Pages/default.aspx.
To date, there are 1,956 facilities that are members of the movement.
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN contributing writer.
