Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus Announces Grand Opening of Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) Unit

In response to the complex needs of aging adults, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus has announced the opening of an Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) unit, a single-room inpatient unit exclusively for patients 65 years-old and older.

Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to collaboratively develop a patient-centered care plan, the inpatient ACE unit addresses and provides for the health care needs of older adults and returns them to their daily lives as soon as possible.

The ACE unit model of care features proactive identification and management of geriatric syndromes, frequent interdisciplinary team rounds, daily interaction with board-certified geriatricians who communicate regularly with a patient’s primary care physician, and more one-on-one time with physicians and nurses – all with an emphasis on patient dignity and comfort.

“Older adults disproportionately represent the majority of health care consumers, and as health care providers, we know that we will increasingly be caring for an aging population with multiple chronic illnesses,” says Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS, president and chief executive officer of Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus. “It’s a strategic priority for us as a system to re-engineer our facilities and services to deliver care for the future, and population health management means that we are responsible for caring for the health outcomes of defined groups of patients. The dedication of the ACE unit speaks to these areas of focus.”

“The ACE unit is the first step in the establishment the Geriatrics Institute at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus that will debut a state-of-the-art geriatrics outpatient practice,” said Jessica L. Israel, M.D., Regional Director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus. “We are creating a center of clear excellence, and a true destination for outstanding geriatric medical care.”

Research has shown that older adults who are admitted to a hospital may experience adverse outcomes such as functional decline and delirium. One of the goals of the ACE unit is to reduce the length of hospital stays and return older patients to everyday life so that they are less likely to experience adverse outcomes.

The new ACE Unit features spacious single rooms with private bathrooms in a quiet area separate from other hospital services. Patients will not incur additional charges for a single room. ACE unit design modifications, to make the patient’s stay as comfortable, safe and efficient as possible include: non-skid floors, bedside recliners, soft lighting and a warm color palette and family gathering areas.

About Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus
Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus is an acute-care community hospital located in Lakewood, Ocean County. A Barnabas Health facility, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus merged with Monmouth Medical Center, a teaching hospital located in Long Branch, Monmouth County, in 2014. The hospitals are dedicated to improving the health and well being of the communities they proudly serve through expanded access to specialty outpatient services that focus on preventive medicine and healthy living. The partnership has also expanded patients’ access to geriatric and pediatric emergency services, as well as outpatient neurology, oncology and geriatric services. Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus is in the process of converting to all private rooms, which will make it the only provider in the region with all private rooms for overnight stays. For more information about Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, visit www.barnabashealth.org.

PHOTO:

Jessica L. Israel, M.D., Regional Director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus; James Maida, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus Foundation; Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS, President & CEO, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus; Joan Wills, Regional Assistant Vice President, Geriatrics, Palliative Care and Community Health Education, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus