ATLANTIC GENERAL HOSPITAL RECEIVES NICHE DESIGNATION

Berlin, Md. – Atlantic General Hospital announces it has received designation as a NICHE organization. The NICHE designation indicates an organization’s commitment to elder care excellence.

The NICHE designation signals the dedication to providing patient-centered care for older adult patients. Through participation in the NICHE program — a leading elder care nursing program — Atlantic General Hospital is able to offer evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches that promote better outcomes, positive experiences, and improved care for older adults. This leads to greater satisfaction rates for patients, their families and staff.

“Atlantic General Hospital has always been committed to providing quality service to all visitors and members of our community. We are proud to have earned the NICHE designation and believe it is proof that our commitment to quality, patient-centered care reaches all patients, especially the growing elder population,” said Colleen Wareing, vice president of patient care services at Atlantic General Hospital.

Atlantic General Hospital is incorporating the NICHE principles into the planning for the redesign of their inpatient care areas, which is being funded in part through the hospital’s Campaign for the Future. These efforts include geriatric sensitivity training for staff, an aromatherapy program to promote rest, access to outdoor spaces for patients and families, designated spaces that promote earlier and safe mobility, and the addition of spaces that meet the needs of older adults, including work environments as more of the hospital’s associates are working past the age of 65.

Several of the NICHE designation recommendations are already in place including registration kiosks, telemedicine care, the PERKS patient portal, private rooms for all inpatients, and a provider who specializes in gerontology, Craig Johnson, PA.

“Atlantic General Hospital shows a tremendous commitment to meet the most critical challenge of our times - quality care of older adults,” says Mattia J. Gilmartin, PhD, RN, Acting Executive Director, NICHE. “The organization’s dedication to drive continuous improvement processes and enhance care marks them as leaders in the field.”

About Atlantic General Hospital
Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built by the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility in Berlin, Md., combines old-fashioned personal attention with the latest in technology and services. It provides quality specialty care such as weight loss surgery, orthopedics, outpatient infusion and chemotherapy for individuals with cancer or blood/autoimmune disorders, and a comprehensive women’s diagnostic center. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, care for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.

About NICHE

NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is an international program designed to help healthcare organizations improve the care of older adults. The vision of NICHE is for all people 65-and-over to be given sensitive and exemplary care. The mission of NICHE is to provide principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare organizations to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE, based at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, consists of over 680 healthcare organizations in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, Singapore, and Australia. For more information visit www.nicheprogram.org/.