Plattsburgh, NY – The Emergency Department (ED) team at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) has again met the highest national standards established by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) for the care of adults ages 65 and older, earning its reaccreditation as a Level 3 Geriatric ED.

To enhance the care provided to older adults, the ED staff continues to follow best practices and participate in educational opportunities and specialized training focused on meeting the unique needs of this patient population. Improved care coordination and follow-up services, as well as ensuring appropriate equipment and supplies are readily available, have also been important factors in maintaining this national designation.

“We recognize that a significant percentage of the patients we see are age 65 and older, and this team remains committed to meeting their specific needs,” explained Michael Wells, Emergency Department Manager.

“Emergency care for older adults requires more than excellent clinical skills—it requires collaboration, coordination, and compassion. Our providers are committed to delivering respectful, well‑coordinated care that supports patients and their caregivers during some of life’s most stressful moments,” said Emergency Department Medical Director Nicholas Aunchman, MD.

Chief Nursing Officer Carly Haag added, “This designation is a signal to our community that our Emergency Department employees are focused on maintaining the highest standards of safe, quality patient care and that they continue to learn, evolve and improve what they do and how they do it.”

ACEP is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continued education, research, public education, and advocacy, it advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members and the more than 150 million people they treat annually. The voluntary accreditation process was established by ACEP to recognize emergency departments that uphold the highest standards of care for older adults.

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About Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
The University of Vermont Health Network - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) is a private, not-for profit hospital in Plattsburgh, NY.  Established in 1967 with the merger of Champlain Valley and Physicians Hospitals, CVPH joined Fletcher Allen Partners in 2012, which in 2014 became The University of Vermont Health Network.  Together with its partner hospitals, the UVM Medical Group and a home health agency, CVPH provides high-quality, cost-effective care, close to home. Services include an award-winning cardiac services program, accredited cancer center, freestanding ambulatory surgery center, comprehensive rehabilitation services and a 24-hour physician-staffed Emergency Department.  Governed by a 15-member Board of Directors, CVPH is accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed by New York State and Medicare/Medicaid Approved.  Learn more at UVMHealth.org/CVPH or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About University of Vermont Health Network
University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives.  The partners are:

• University of Vermont Medical Center
• University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
• University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice

Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.