With more than half of all VA emergency department visits involving a Veteran over the age of 65, VA is continuing to build on its recent efforts to become the largest specialized geriatric emergency care provider in the U.S.
Since starting this initiative in 2019, VA now has 67 accredited geriatric emergency departments (GED) spread out across the country with 18 more in process over the next few years. Being GED accredited means that staff are dedicated to the unique needs of an increasingly geriatric Veteran population.
“Approximately half of U.S. Veterans are over 65 years old, and we know that older adults often have clinical and social needs that are outside what we see during a routine emergency department visit,” said Dr. Neil Patel, deputy executive director for the National Emergency Medicine Office. “By making sure we not only provide the acute medical care they need but also matching them with both VA and community resources is a huge part of being Veteran-centric.”
“With older patients, we ask about other health conditions.”
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) offers three levels of GED accreditation, with Level 1 being the most comprehensive care model. Accreditation is based on providing four to twenty best practices covering screening, evaluation, treatment, environment of care and transition of care, including coordination of VA and community social and health services after discharge.
“When someone comes to the emergency department, we are focused on the issue that brought them to us. But with our older patients, we also ask about their other health conditions in case we can help them schedule an appointment within VA or refer them to a community program that could help them. VA has so many services, we are really making a point to help these Veterans get the care they need and deserve,” Patel said.
“This public-private collaboration between VA, ACEP, The John A. Hartford Foundation and the West Health Institute to create accredited geriatric emergency departments is designed to create welcoming emergency departments that offer multi-disciplinary, specialized care that is focused on at-risk older Veterans,” said Dr. Chad Kessler, executive director for the National Emergency Medicine Office. “Through the accreditation process, we’ve learned about specialized geriatric resources available within VA and in our community, making sure our Veterans leave with not only their medical needs met but resources to help with their social needs and overall wellbeing.”
Pilot project saw significant improvements
The initial VA pilot project in the emergency department at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center saw significant improvements in care and outcomes for older Veterans.
“Robust geriatric emergency department programs allow us to fulfil Veterans’ wishes to age safely at home by connecting them and their families to age-appropriate services and caregiver support programs. From an operations standpoint this equates to decreased hospital admissions and inpatient bed days,” said Dr. Colleen McQuown, director of Supporting Community Outpatient Urgent Care and Telehealth Services, or SCOUTS, a geriatric emergency department transition program. “We’ve always provided high quality care in our emergency departments, but this focus on identifying what matters to our most vulnerable older Veterans and addressing their unmet needs and geriatric syndromes really makes a positive impact on their lives. You can see the relief in their faces when I tell them ‘We have a plan to take care of your health and get you home today.’”
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I had the opportunity to need the services of the ED at the VA hospital located in Albuquerque NM. They were some of the rudest and unprofessional medical personnel Ihave ever encountered. I did get treatment I was there I left after overhearing staff complain about patients publically and went to a community ED for care.
I would never recommend them for care, much less for such a prestigious title.
I am a 83 yr old, now 100% disabled, decorated (BSM, CM) Vietnam Air Force retired vet. I fell face down in my backyard a few months ago. I hurt my chest, lower back, and my left hip, seems that I loosened the sciactic nerve. It hurt a lot. I was having a lot of problem getting out of bed. A few months later I had an appt at the Teague VA Medical Center in Temple TX, and I stopped at the emergency room to see if I could get some relief from the intense pain I have been living with. After waiting 2 1/2 hr, I was called to get my vitals. A nurse came a few minutes later see what was my problem so she could relay it to the dr. I had to wait another half an hour before I was called to see the dr. He finally came but he said he couldn’t do anything for me because this was a “recurring issue”.!! After three and a half hours, I walked out with more pain than when I WALKED IN. Don’t those emergency doctors realize that us vets over 80 can not tolerate pain like we could when we were in our 60s? We need something to be able to live! To move! Some falls hurt more than others. I have had to see private doctors to get treated. I’m still trying to walk without too much pain.
In November 2023 I had painful gall bladder issues since I and my wife had never been to my VA Hospital (Mather) CA ER we elected to visit Kaiser ER of which Im also a member..
My Question to VA: Is it possible to visit Mather VA ER to get familiar with the surroundings and admitting processes .. These were my concerns and my reason to not go to VA as I was not familiar. Can my spouse accompany me from admittance to waiting rooms.?
I use use the NYC. Manhattan VA at 423 East 23 Street and medial care is EXCELLENT….especially Emergency room…never waited more than fifteen minutes to be seen by a doctor. Within five minutes a nurse see’s and takes all m vital signs
Jay Hirsch…Vietnam 1968/69 !st Cav
Not in Augusta Ga! Begging the Inspector General to visit. In 2019 he failed with otter choas just that year 120 plus negligent deaths. The 5 yr disability claim due to haradardous chemicals affliatiin firefoam, burnpit and aviation fuels at 87 percent forever chemicals still waiting . 5 cancers brain bleeds full construction 20 strokes ! How many more white house complaints, went to Augusta ga waited 13 hours no exray tech available without telling us until 13th hour wife took me out transported to aiken Regiinal Aiken SC. Yep would have died surgeries hours later. 5 years of tears
En San Juan PR.francamente estoy preocupado.Ya tengo 70 años.Y no veo ninguna ayuda para mí.El servicio general está bien.Pero estoy viejo y no veo ayuda especialisada para mí.
Does Moline il have one?
The last time I tried to use the emergency function at the VA Hospital in San Diego I sat for over 8 hours waiting to see a Doctor before I gave up and went to a private Doctor at my own expense. You can put lipstick on this “Emergency” service of the VA but is it really fixed?
I moved closer to the American Lake VA because of it’s ER, as I was going at that time 6-8 times a month, so what happened a few years later they closed the ER altogether. Fortunately for me I had a new Primary that got me the meds to handle my case better, but it didn’t eliminate my need for ER totally. Why not have that ER back?
Great news! Maybe we should incorporate emergency care for veterans traveling through our network of hospitals. A doctor treating a veteran at the VA hospital in Wilmington, DE should have access to a veteran’s medical record in San Diego.
Geriatric care for our older veterans article thumbs ? up. I’m delighted to read that VA is helping to keep our veterans at home as their choice for their final years.
Where in CT
Where are these services offered in Charlotte, NC? Where is the closest facility in Charlotte?
Even if the ER at Chalmers P Wiley Outpatient Clinic in Columbus Ohio had this geriatric care, it is 45 minutes away.
Thank you VA for doing so much with so little, for doing big things with poor funding. I never blame the VA, but I do our Congress.
I think an emergency department at our VA facilities are a great improvement. Are they setting one up in Billings MT?
Went to the Cleveland VA ER three times for extreme pain. The third time they found four broken ribs.
Where is emergency departments in Maryland
Only in Baltimore
I went with my Husband, a Marine Vet to Fayetteville(Ft. Bragg) to ER for, a evaluation d/t complications from Covid. We are temporarily living in NC and he doesn’t have a MD .down here and was instructed to to the Er there. We drove for an Hour and 15 min. ourselves for him to evaluated. They did not give us permission to go to the local ER or urgent care.
We sat there 3 hours, and they had only taken his Vital signs and asked him why he came.
We saw a person who drove for 3 hours from Camp Lejune as they didn’t even have a ER for this man to be seen at Camp Lejune.
Many other veterans came and sat next to us, my husband decided after the 3 hours that we needed to go as he did not feel that he needed to sit there any longer.
We went the next day and paid privately for him to be seen.
Why should this happen to our Veterans when the private citizen can been seen quickly and treated better.
Why can’t the government make a contract with the local hospital or urgent care for the Veterans to be seen? Instead of sending someone sick so far away from where they live to be treated?
He is a disabled veteran.
It is a shame how we treat our servicemen and women!
Veterans need an Emergency Room at the Austin Texas VA clinic. The nearest VA Emergency Room is 50 miles away.
How is the VA taking care of older veterans with the emergency rooms
When the urgent care hours are Monday – Friday 8am -5 pm
I did not know Veterans only have health issues during banking hours
Coatesville has a updated urgent care and a very nice radiology dept and speciality care but having techs in radiology are few for a large dept
Speciality care that is a new building large waiting area updated equipment in treatment rooms then move speciality care to the old building
People think the VA treats veterans no they try not to
Where are the VA emergency rooms located in the Dallas Texas area?
Where are the VA geriatric emergency department’s in Georgia? I live in Savannah and I’m not familiar with any such facility in my area.
A very important and timely topic. Thank You.
An Eighty-Nine old Vet.
Where at in Florida
Please restore emergency and urgent care services at American Lake. Since you merged American Lake with Seattle, we have lost many critical services.
You all are the best! I applaud the VA for their interest and empathetic care towards those of us over 65. I can never repay you all for your kindness and expertise. The problem I have is similar to other Veterans. The VA ER departments for me, are over 80 miles away. Thank You, Barry
Where are the VA emergency rooms located
This sounds like an excellent endeavor. I am curious why our VA hospital in Minneapolis, MN seems to be lagging behind other VA hospitals in implementing the program.
WHERE IN VIRGINIA?
why dosen`t the va publish answers to these questions? Also, phone numbers directly to the ER to prevent the above!
I am 73 and go to the Walorsky Center in Mishawaka In. It’s a ways off and everyone is to the top of their game but either direction I go there are not any VA hospitals Ft Wayne or Chicago and I don’t do Chicago! Just wish there was one closer!!
I never heard of a VA emergency department. Is one ln the pipeline for the Florida panhandle?
I am 79 and live in Maine. Since first going on VA treatments, I’m 10% T&P I’ve been more than happy with the VA.
I am concerned in my advanceing age of course. Maine has one if not the oldest geriatric population per capita in the US. I wound hope the VA will closely examine this problem here in the far east of the USA.
Where in NJ