Geriatric emergency medicine service: a novel approach to an emerging trend

Many studies have described benefits to patients from geriatric care in the emergency department (ED), yet few geriatric emergency departments exist nationally. As our nation ages and health care financing for these patients becomes more complex, it will be crucial for hospitals to develop ED services that address the needs of our sickest and frailest patients. In this article, we report on our experiences using advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) embedded in an established ED. Our geriatric emergency medicine service (GEMS(SM)) model has improved patient satisfaction rates and decreased time spent in the ED. It has increased volume of geriatric patients in our hospital by 6%. Strong executive support for geriatric services has established our hospital as a local leader in geriatric emergency medicine. The program is fiscally neutral and serves a frail vulnerable population. We have improved healthcare for our seniors and believe this model of geriatric emergency care can easily be replicated nationally.