News

Meritus Medical Center is part of the 20% of U.S. hospital systems joining in the “Age-Friendly Health Systems” initiative, to make care for older adults tailored to patients’ goals and preferences and consistently high in quality.

Evidence-based interventions, tested and adapted for the Washington County region’s unique older adult population, are the focus of the initiative. National partners include The John A. Hartford Foundation, the Institute for Health Care Improvement and the American Hospital Association.

“Our patients’ experiences, as we provide safe, quality care for them, are so important to us, because they’ve trusted us with their health care and treatment,” says Melanie Heuston, chief nursing and patient care services officer. “This is one more way for Meritus Health to measure what we are offering our senior community is exactly what they need for their overall health and well-being.”

Four essential elements of senior care are addressed through the program’s initiatives – knowing and aligning care with a patient’s preferences, including end-of-life choices; medication reconciliation; management of dementia, depression and delirium; and safe movement daily in order to maintain well-being.

“We applaud Meritus Medical Center for being in the vanguard of health care organizations recognizing the importance of focusing on the specific needs of older adults, which became even clearer during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Terry Fulmer, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation. “Under the leadership of president and CEO Maulik Joshi, a long-time supporter of the age-friendly care movement, this system and the remarkable nursing and interdisciplinary leadership team are working to ensure their older patients receive evidence-based care aligned with what matters most to them.”