SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Recognized for Providing Continued High-quality Care to Older New Yorkers

By Office of Commiunications & Marketing | Jan 20, 2022

University Hospital at Downstate Awarded HANYS Age-Friendly Health Systems Participant Stipend to Support Age-Friendly, Patient-Centered Care

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) announced that it had received a $10,000 stipend from the Healthcare Association of New York State’s (HANYS) to support the expansion of UHD’s Age-Friendly Health System initiative. This stipend will be utilized to jumpstart age-friendly programming across the hospital’s care system, enhancing the quality of care for the thousands of older adults engaging with UHD. In addition, this age-friendly Initiative marks the start of an exciting, comprehensive re-imagining of geriatric care across UHD’s ambulatory, inpatient, and community education programs.

In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the John A. Hartford Foundation, HANYS launched their Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community in 2020. This program assists hospitals and providers in New York in implementing high-quality healthcare for older adults across the care continuum focused on the 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health Care (What Matters, Mobility, Medication, and Mentation).

UHD ambulatory care leadership, nursing, pharmacy, and Dr. Yusuff, Chief Medical Officer, in partnership with the Brooklyn Initiative to Develop Geriatric Education (BRIDGE) Program (Dr. Michael Reinhardt, Director and Drs. Everton Prospere, Shirley Girouard, Tonya Taylor, and Carl Cohen, Co-Directors) will leverage the HANYS stipend to enhance the care of Brooklyn’s older adults. As a result, ambulatory and inpatient care will be redesigned in the image of the Age-Friendly model, jumpstarting an exciting expansion of geriatric programming to create Brooklyn’s first comprehensive Center of Excellence for Geriatric Healthcare.

“It is a great honor to be recognized for our commitment to comprehensive, age-friendly care,” said UHD CEO David H. Berger, MD, MHCM, FACS. “We are grateful to HANYS for this stipend that will help improve and transform our care models to treat older New Yorkers, ensuring their meaningful participation in community and family life as they age.”

As new members of the HANY’s Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community, University Hospital at Downstate will participate in monthly webinars, coaching calls, and virtual summits to ensure UHD’s leadership in an Age-Friendly New York.