The Oakland Medical Center participates in the American College of Surgeons’ Geriatric Surgery Verification Program, the ACS National Surgery Quality Improvement Program and the ACS national Surgery Quality Improvement Program Pediatric. Hospital standards include having age-friendly protocols and geriatric screening tools in place.

In alignment with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age Friendly Health Systems model, a Geriatric RN Champion Committee was created to promote a framework of evidence-based practices to positively impact geriatric care. Geriatric surgery nurse champions are a requirement and standard of the Geriatric Surgery Verification Program. Members of this committee represent their nursing unit to serve as leaders in best practices for older surgical patients, complete didactic education, perform a quality improvement project and pursue continuing education in geriatric surgery annually.

The committee meets monthly to obtain new information related to geriatric care. They participate in specialty rounds and unit-based projects such as creating education messages for staff. During specialty rounds, nurses speak with patients about what matters to them, review use of high-risk medications, perform a high-quality delirium screening and a mobility assessment when appropriate. They also to a tether review to align with enhanced recovery standards. For delirium patients, nurses are performing an “Attention and awareness through movement” intervention to improve the inattentiveness of delirium.