WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (April 10, 2015) – White Plains Hospital has been recognized once again for its commitment to the quality care of older adults by the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program. NICHE is the premier designation indicating a hospital’s commitment to excellence in the care of patients 65 years and older. White Plains Hospital originally received the designation in 2012, and is one of only two hospitals in Westchester to receive NICHE Exemplar status. Exemplar status recognizes White Plains Hospital’s ongoing,
“NICHE Exemplar designation is a remarkable achievement for our Hospital, and we are proud of the special services we offer to our elderly patients,” said Leigh Anne McMahon, Senior Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “For example, an enhanced effort to reduce the risk of patient falls resulted in an entire year with not a single injury-causing patient fall. Nurses assess every inpatient, identify those with the greatest risk of falling, and take extra measures to prevent falls.”
Reema Joseph, White Plains Hospital NICHE Coordinator, added, “The Exemplar status – the highest of four possible program levels – was assigned following a rigorous program evaluation of the current state and future goals of the NICHE program at White Plains Hospital. Exemplar status requirements include implementation of the NICHE Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) model and evidence-based protocols on all applicable units.”
According to Raj Buddhavarapu, MD, Director of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at White Plains Hospital, “The NICHE designation and the Exemplar status signal our resolve to provide patient-centered care for older adults. Through our participation in the NICHE program we are able to offer evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches that promote better outcomes, positive experiences, and improved care for the older adults in our care.”
According to the Westchester Alliance of Academic Institutions for Aging Related Studies, Westchester County has a significantly high percentage of older adults compared to New York State and the entire United States. As of a 2010 census, 14.7% of the population of Westchester was 65 and older.
About the NICHE program
NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is an international program designed to help improve the care of older adults. The vision of NICHE is for all patients 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 facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE, based at NYU College of Nursing, has over 550 hospitals and healthcare organizations from the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and Singapore in the network. For more information, visit www.nicheprogram.org.
About White Plains Hospital
White Plains Hospital (WPH) is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. Centers of Excellence include the Dickstein Cancer Center, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. The Hospital’s Flanzer Emergency Department is the busiest in Westchester County, seeing over 55,000 visits a year. White Plains Hospital is the only community hospital in Westchester County to perform lifesaving emergency & elective angioplasty in its Joan and Alan Herfort, M.D. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and earned its recognition as a Top Performer for Key Quality Measures® in 2013. The Hospital is also an eleven-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation, and received Magnet® designation in 2012 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In 2014 White Plains Hospital received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades®, given to only 5% of hospitals nationwide. White Plains Hospital is a member of the Montefiore Health System. For additional information, visit http://www.wphospital.org.