The Brome-Missisquoi Perkins (BMP) hospital in Cowansville received the ACEP Bronze Certification for their excellence in geriatric emergency care.

They are only the second geriatric emergency room to receive this honour in Quebec. ACEP (American College of Emergency Physicians) is an accreditation given through GEDA (Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation) to hospitals who demonstrate outstanding service to patients.

A year ago, the BMP hospital received a generous donation to fund a project to help create a more senior friendly emergency experience. The region has a large aging population and, at BMP, 33 per cent of emergency room visits are from seniors.

“This is actually a senior friendly emergency department, not really specialized to care for them, but it’s an approach, a philosophy. We are not aiming to prioritize their care or change it in a way that it would affect the other care differently but humanize the care,” explained Michèle Lucey, emergency care physician at the BMP hospital.

Caring for the health of seniors does not only occur in the emergency room but should continue after discharge. This is one of the benefits of the program. Once a senior patient is discharged from the hospital, there will be a nurse or social aid to provide follow up care.

“We want to be a small hospital that’s a leader in this area in Quebec,” stated Lucey.

The BMP’s senior emergency care program would like to act as a model for other hospitals to help better their care for the aging population.

Having already received the bronze certification Lucey aspires to reach silver certification status by next year. Hôtel Dieu in Sherbrooke currently holds a silver certification.

Here is Lucey speaking to CIDI: