American College of Emergency Physicians Awards Geriatric ER Accreditation
KANKAKEE, IL (Oct 7, 2025) – St. Mary’s Hospital, a member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation family, has been recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) with a Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA), affirming the hospital’s commitment to providing specialized, compassionate care for older adults in the community. With this recognition, St. Mary’s becomes the only hospital serving Kankakee County to achieve this national accreditation, underscoring its leadership in advancing care for older adults.
“The GEDA program is the culmination of years of progress in emergency care of older adults,” said Sandy Schneider, MD, of ACEP. She explained,
“In 2014, ACEP along with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff, to more routine screenings for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.”
Otis Story Sr., President of St. Mary’s, emphasized the hospital’s dedication to meeting community needs. “When we became part of the Prime Healthcare family, we committed to actively assessing and addressing the unmet needs of our communities. This accreditation reflects our focus on providing the highest standards of care for older adults in our community. They helped build the foundation of Kankakee, and we are honored to serve them with the specialized care they deserve.”
Dr. Kalisha Hill, St. Mary’s Chief Medical Officer, underscored the significance of the recognition. “As a physician-led health system, Prime Healthcare is dedicated to clinical excellence and addressing unmet healthcare needs in our communities. Nationally recognized for quality, Prime has expanded vital mental health and other senior services across the country at a time when access is critical — especially for older adults. This recognition underscores Prime’s ongoing commitment to providing care that improves outcomes and makes a lasting difference for patients, families, and communities.”
The GEDA program, developed by ACEP, includes three levels of accreditation that guide emergency departments in best practices for geriatric care. To achieve accreditation, hospitals must adopt more than two dozen standards — from providing interdisciplinary geriatric education to ensuring geriatric-appropriate equipment and screening protocols are in place.
Ann Carpenter, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary’s, noted that this milestone is only the beginning. “While it took a lot of teamwork, resources and commitment to achieve this accreditation, like many things in healthcare, our focus on our communities’ geriatric population is a journey rather than a destination. We will be reassessed in three years and are committed to building on this foundation to continue raising the bar for excellence in all care we provide.”
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