Banner – UMC Tucson Emergency Department, U of A Center on Aging collaborate to advance geriatric ER care

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson’s Emergency Department has earned a Bronze-level Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, or ACEP, recognizing the department’s commitment to providing high-quality, age-friendly care for older adults.

The accreditation reflects a collaborative effort between Banner – UMC Tucson’s Emergency Department and the University of Arizona Center on Aging, with support from Mindy Fain, MD, and her team of internal medicine and geriatric specialists. Dr. Fain is center director and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatric & Palliative Medicine, or GGP, at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson where she’s a professor of medicine and nursing and the Anne & Alden Hart Endowed Chair in Medicine.

This interdisciplinary partnership brings together emergency medicine, geriatrics and other health professionals with a shared goal: optimizing care for Southern Arizona and Tucson’s growing population of older adults, while building systems that support continued improvement in available age-friendly care.

“Achieving Bronze-level accreditation is definitely something to be proud of, but it’s also a foundation for optimization work ahead,” said Bradley Dreifuss, MD, a U of A Department of Emergency Medicine assistant clinical professor who led the interdisciplinary GEDA effort as its physician champion. “Our interdisciplinary collaborations help us provide better care for our Emergency Department patients, and the BUMCT GEDA team is excited to continue evolving these operations and improving age-friendly patient-centered care for our growing population of older adults.”

Samantha Russell, MD, a geriatric physician and GGP assistant professor who led much of the accreditation project’s documentation needs, agreed. “A trip to the ED can be a frightening and traumatizing experience for older adults. I’m excited to be part of this dedicated interdisciplinary team committed to changing this experience and improving care for our older patients. There’s still much work to be done, but this accreditation is an important first step,” she added.

The GEDA team — which includes Scott Lowry, MD, a Department of Emergency Medicine clinical professor and ED medical director at Banner – UMC Tucson, and GEDA nurse champion Kelly Greer, RN, CFRN, and Robin Lang, a GGP program coordinator — extends its appreciation to Banner leadership for supporting this work and the continued advancement of age-friendly care for older adults. 

“This accreditation reflects years of work by our nurses, physicians and Banner leadership to rethink how we care for older adults in the ED,” said Dr. Lowry. “Older patients often have more complex needs, and this framework gives our team the structure to meet them consistently, on every shift. I’m grateful to Kelly Greer, Drs. Fain and Dreifuss, and the rest of the GEDA team for all their work that got us here.”

The team also thanks Irwin “Irv” Rothenberg, a retired certified public accountant, professional financial adviser and philanthropist whose donation helped fund the accreditation process and will help develop a planned volunteer program.

Rothenberg, 91, who serves on the Arizona geriatric clinic board, said, “I have firsthand experience of the difficulties experienced by both geriatric emergency room patients and the ER staff trying to meet their needs.” 

ACEP’s GEDA program recognizes emergency departments that meet established best practices designed to improve the care of older adults. Bronze-level accreditation incorporates geriatric-specific policies and protocols, interdisciplinary geriatric-specific education, and access to geriatric-appropriate equipment and supplies. These efforts provide a framework for addressing common geriatric concerns specific to the ED setting, strengthening transitions of care and advancing ongoing quality improvement for the care of older patients. 

For Banner – UMC Tucson and the U of A Center on Aging, the accreditation represents a milestone in a broader collaboration to strengthen geriatric emergency care across disciplines. The team plans to build upon this achievement by continuing to refine clinical practices, expand interdisciplinary education, and identify opportunities to improve the emergency care experience and outcomes for older adults.

ACEP’s GEDA relationships will provide feedback to help guide the department’s continued development ahead of its next accreditation review in three years.

Learn more at the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative.