LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s Robley Rex VA Medical Center (VAMC) has earned an accreditation only three other hospitals in the country have the distinction of holding. The VAMC earned the Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians. 

What You Need To Know

  • Robley Rex VA Medical Center receives highest accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians

  • Robley Rex VAMC joins three other hospitals with the level 1 accreditation

  • To qualify for the distinction, the hospital had to meet two dozen criteria

Only the Richard Roudebush VAMC in Indianapolis, Indiana, Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC and the Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC hold the Level 1 accreditation. The accreditation recognizes hospitals with elite, geriatric-focused emergency care.

To qualify for high-level accreditation, hospitals must meet two dozen criteria, including enhanced staffing, Geriatric-focused policies and procedures and continuous quality improvement. According to a news release from Robley Rex VAMC, the proportion of of the United States population over 65 is projected to almost double from 43 million in 2012 to 83 million in 2050. The release continues to say aging adults make up 18% of total emergency department visits.

Forty-three VA hospitals earned some accreditation from ACEP in 2022. Robley Rex VAMC began working on its Level 1 accreditation in 2019. “We developed a strategic plan to transform the way that the ED treated geriatric patients,” Dr. Amy Minix stated. “More than half of the patients we care for are over the age of 65 and often have multiple comorbidities. Our first quality of care initiative was developed to reduce drug interactions and potentially harmful side effects of medications prescribed to elderly patients.” Minix is the Associate Chief of Staff for Emergency Medicine at the Robley Rex VAMC. “When we received the news from ACEP that we had achieved the highest level this year, we knew our vision and hard work had paid off—not for the recognition of this status from our peers, but for our Veterans who deserve the best health care possible,” Minix continued.

The Robley Rex VA Medical Center is a tertiary care facility, one that provides specialized care. The health care system includes eight community-based outpatient clinics, employs over 2,000 people and services nearly 45,000 Veterans in a 35- county area of Kentucky and Indiana. 

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