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NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital’s program for hospitalized older adults has been recognized by the prestigious NYU College of Nursing program as one of the top NICHE hospitals in the nation.

Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) recently released a list of nine hospitals that have achieved Exemplar status for the progress of their nurse-driven programs in raising the level of quality in care of older adult patients. HVHC was the only hospital in the region to receive this honor.

Exemplar is the highest of four levels of recognition. Progressing through Early Implementation, Progressive, and Senior Friendly levels to achieve the Exemplar designation indicates a hospital has demonstrated ongoing, high-level dedication to geriatric care and preeminence in the implementation and quality of system-wide interventions and initiatives.

"These hospitals showed a tremendous commitment to meet one of the most critical challenges of our times - quality care of older adults,” said Linda Bub, MSN, RN, GCNS-BC, director, education and program development. "The hospitals’ dedication to drive continuous improvement processes and enhance care marks them as leaders in the field."

The Exemplar hospitals will be honored at the national NICHE conference in San Diego, April 6-8.

Suzanne Mateo, chair of NYP Hudson Valley Hospital's NICHE team, said that NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital worked hard for the designation by educating the public and the entire nursing staff on geriatric care and by incorporating NICHE philosophy into all hospital departments.

The NICHE team at NYP Hudson Valley Hospital showcased their work in October with a "Silver Linings” Health Fair, in which they demonstrated the work they do with older adult in-patients from education on hydration and nutrition to increased mobility.

"We made a commitment as part of our Magnet designation to elevate our practice," said Mateo, MA, BSN, RN. "We worked hard to bring NICHE practice into all aspects of care here at HVHC and are very proud to be recognized for this accomplishment."

People over 65 are the fastest growing age group in the nation, making up 12.9 percent of the population or about 1 in 8 people in the United States. By 2030, estimates are that there will be about 72.1 million older adults, according to U.S. Census data.

Other hospitals to achieve Exemplar status are: Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington (Wis.); Aurora West Allis (Wis.) Medical Center; Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, Midlothian, Va.; Detroit (Mich.) Receiving Hospital; Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Commerce Township, Mich.; Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Newark, N.Y.; Saint Mary's Health Care, Grand Rapids, Mich.; and UC San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.

About NICHE

NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is an international program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. The vision of NICHE is for all patients 65-and-over to be given sensitive and exemplary care. The mission of NICHE is to provide principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE, based at NYU College of Nursing, consists of over 500 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the U.S., Canada and Bermuda.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital is dedicated to serving the health care needs of the community and to providing quality, comprehensive medical care in a compassionate, professional, respectful manner, without regard to race, religion, national origin or disease category. Offering state-of-the-art diagnostic treatment, education and preventive services, the Hospital is committed to improving the quality of life in the community. In fulfilling this mission, the Hospital will strive to continuously improve the care provided and develop and offer programs, facilities, systems and alliances that most effectively respond to community health care needs. NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital is located on Route 202 (1980 Crompond Road) in Cortlandt Manor, New York. Call 914-737-9000 or visit nyp.org/hudsonvalley