South Nassau Earns National Recognition for Elder Care

South Nassau Communities Hospital has been recognized for its commitment and dedication to meeting the complex healthcare needs of elder patients. South Nassau is just the second Long Island-based hospital to earn the designation.

Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) is an international program designed to help improve the care of older adults and was founded on the vision that all patients 65-and-over should receive sensitive and exemplary care. To fulfill that vision, NICHE provides principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare facilities to achieve patient-centered care for elder patients.

“This award underscores South Nassau’s commitment to our older patients, which comprise a significant percentage of our overall patient population," said Richard J. Murphy, South Nassau’s president and CEO. "They often have special needs that our staff are trained to recognize and address. I congratulate our nursing leadership and staff for winning this recognition and for their dedication to our elder population.”

As a NICHE designated hospital, South Nassau will serve as an incubator of evidence-based, interdisciplinary advancements in care for elder patients. It has also adopted a new model of practice known as ACE (Acute Care for Elders) to prevent functional decline of patients over the age of 70 while they recover in the hospital.

The nationally recognized model of care has proven to significantly improve clinical outcomes by improving the elderly patient’s ability to function upon discharge, therefore reducing the need for transfers to nursing homes or rehabilitation hospitals.

The NICHE recognition is the second major award for South Nassau’s nursing staff. In 2015, South Nassau won Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Magnet award is given to a select number of hospitals recognized for overall, outstanding nursing care.

Photo: South Nassau Communities Hospital.