In 2024, Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco launched the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program to enhance the quality of care for older adults across the continuum. This initiative empowered staff nurses to become Geriatric Nurse Champions (GNCs), leaders dedicated to improving the care experience for older patients. Through specialized training, GNCs learned to identify, prevent, and manage common geriatric syndromes such as depression, delirium, malnutrition, frailty, falls, and pressure injuries.
The program strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating evidence-based geriatric principles into everyday practice and reinforcing our commitment to patient-centered care. These champions have become trusted resources on their units, modeling best practices and elevating the standard of care for our aging population.
In May 2025, Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco was honored as a Level 1 Age-Friendly Health System Participant by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a recognition driven by the dedication and leadership of our Geriatric Nurse Champions. This designation validated the successful integration of the 4Ms Framework — What Matters Most, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility — into our daily approach to caring for older adults. Each “M” represents a cornerstone of holistic, individualized care, ensuring that the needs and values of every older patient remain at the center of all we do.
This achievement reflects South San Francisco’s ongoing commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, and compassionate care. We are currently pursuing the highest level of Age-Friendly Health System recognition, further cementing our dedication to improving health outcomes and experiences for older adults in our community.
This marks our second recognition in advancing geriatric care, as the American College of Emergency Physicians also recognizes our Emergency Department as a Level 3 Bronze Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department. Together, these accomplishments showcase our nurses’ unwavering commitment to ensuring safe, dignified, and age-friendly care for all.