Glen Cove Hospital has received $2 million in federal funding to support its Geriatric Center of Excellence, Congressman Tom Suozzi announced today at a news conference held at the hospital. The funding for this project, along with seven other community initiatives, was spearheaded by Rep. Suozzi and included in the federal budget.
Joining Rep. Suozzi at the event were Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck, Glen Cove Hospital Executive Director Kerri Anne Scanlon, RN, Maria Torroella Carney, MD, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Northwell Health, along with hospital staff and health system leadership.
The Geriatric Center of Excellence at Glen Cove Hospital, part of Northwell Health, brings together a full continuum of care for older adults, from outpatient primary care and community resources, to emergency and inpatient hospital care, specialized hospital programs, at-home services as well as long-term skilled care and end of life. The center builds upon existing programs tailored for geriatric care, including the hospital’s state-of-the-art Caregiver Center that opened six months ago.
“We are extremely grateful to Congressman Suozzi for his years-long commitment to secure funding for the Geriatric Center of Excellence and his advocacy for the health and well-being of seniors in our community, and those we provide complex medical care to in the hospital,” said Ms. Scanlon. “In the last decade alone we’ve seen a 20 percent increase in the number of residents over age 65 in Nassau County. In addition, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities represents up 20 percent of all facilities in the county at large. This new funding will help us in our mission to provide the most advanced and compassionate care for the growing number of seniors in our community.”
Among the achievements Glen Cove Hospital has earned in geriatric care include: the first community hospital in New York State and the 19th in the nation to be awarded Level 1 geriatric accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, to meet the needs of aging adults; recognition as an Age-Friendly Center of Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement; developing a groundbreaking program geared for patients with Parkinson’s disease, part of the hospital’s inpatient Rehabilitation Unit; and developing a MindFULL care Unit for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“The Geriatric Center of Excellence at Glen Cove Hospital will work with the local community, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and the Glen Cove Senior Center to serve as model for geriatric care for the region and the nation,” said Rep. Suozzi. “This center is already providing some of the best care for seniors in the region and has helped revitalize the hospital. We have an opportunity not only to develop programs for seniors locally, but the center can serve as a regional and national model for best practices on how to provide seniors and support to our aging population.”
Rep. Suozzi has been an advocate for the hospital and senior issues based on his own personal hands-on experiences caring for his grandparents and since he served as Glen Cove Mayor in 1994.
“As New York’s largest health system, we are incredibly appreciative for Congressman Suozzi and Senator Chuck Schumer who advocated for the awareness, development and support of a designated Geriatric Center of Excellence for our region,” said Dr. Carney. “The aim of the center is to promote longevity improve the quality of care for older individuals and support caregivers and their loved ones facing complex care needs. It also is designed to serve as a catalyst for much needed change – both in the scientific and clinical approach to how we deliver multidisciplinary care for older adults and those with serious illness.”