May 29, 2014

TriHealth and Bethesda North are committed to improving care for patients 65 and older - nearly 50 percent of the hospital's inpatient population - by providing recognized expertise and new geriatric emergency department features.

Bethesda North was designated in May as a NICHE  hospital. The NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program recognizes hospitals that demonstrate commitment and continued progress toward improving quality, enhancing patient and family experience and supporting efforts to save the surrounding community.

Bethesda North provides state-of-the-art training, mentoring, evidence-based protocols and shared knowledge with other NICHE institutions.

Geriatric Emergency Department in the Works

In addition, Bethesda North is investing in new emergency department features to make it friendlier for elderly patients.

Improvements include:

• Education for nurses on evidence-based best practices for caring for geriatric patients
• Enhancements to the NAVIGATOR program, which assists older patients with transitions in care after they're released from the hospital

NICHE Designation Celebration & Education

Celebrate the recent NICHE designation and learn more about the hospital's future plans for geriatric care.

The free event, open to TriHealth health care team members, is scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at Bethesda North conference center.

Timeline:

• 5:30 p.m., reception with light appetizers
• 6 p.m., program
• 7 p.m., educational session

Reservations are required and space is limited. To RSVP, call 513 865 2274 and leave your name, department and phone number.