December 2014, Pompton Plains, NJ – Chilton Medical Center has achieved "Exemplar" status for its NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program two years in a row. NICHE is the premier designation indicating a hospital's commitment to excellence in the care of patients 65 years and older.
Chilton is among only 11 percent of hospitals in the nation to earn this designation.
Exemplar status, the highest of four possible program levels, recognizes Chilton’s ongoing, high-level dedication to geriatric care. The status was assigned following a rigorous self-evaluation of the current state and future goals of the NICHE program at Chilton.
The requirements for Exemplar status include:
- Implementation of the NICHE Geriatric Resource Nurse model and evidence-based protocols on all applicable units, including specialty units
- Application of systemic aging-sensitive policies
- Inclusion of the input of patient, families and community-based providers in planning and implementation of NICHE initiatives
- Assuming regional and national leadership roles
“The NICHE designation and the 'Exemplar' status signal our resolve to provide high quality, sensitive and responsive care for older adults in our communities,” said Chilton’s NICHE Coordinator Carnette Smith RN, MS. “Through our participation in the NICHE program, we are able to offer evidence-based approaches to care that greatly improve patient outcomes and promote a positive experience for patients and their families."
About NICHE
NICHE is an international program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. Its vision 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 health care facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE, based at NYU College of Nursing, consists of more than 550 hospitals and health care facilities throughout North America.
About Chilton Medical Center
Chilton Medical Center is a part of Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey that includes Morristown Medical Center and Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, and Newton Medical Center in Newton. A fully accredited, 260-bed, acute-care, community hospital, Chilton Medical Center is a Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. It is designated a Primary Stroke Center by both the Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health.