Healthcare facilities win grants

The Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Briarwood is one of seven health care facilities in the state to be awarded a $100,000 grant from the New York State Department of Health as part of their annual Patient Safety Awards.
The grant was given following the creation of a special project conducted by Silvercrest staff, that helps prevent the dislodgement of PEG or percutaneous endoscopic gastromy tubes, in patients. The tubes are used to inject food or liquids into patients who cannot swallow or are malnourished. The project has yielded a comprehensive system that is highly effective in the management of these patients and their needs.
“This comprehensive initiative has fostered the development of quality assurance measures which build on New York’s reputation as a national leader in patient safety,” New York State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H., said. “Governor Pataki has made health care a central issue in his stewardship of New York State and his commitment to supporting such programs has helped expand patients’ access to the highest quality health care available.”
Silvercrest is a state-of-the-art facility that exists to serve members of the community who need a special home with special supports and programs to enhance their capacity for life. About a third of the patients cared for at Silvercrest, a 320-bed facility, need PEG tubes for nutrition and hydration purposes. Since the project’s inception, PEG tube dislodgements are down by 23% and PEG-related hospital visits are also down by nearly 50%.
“I am very proud of the hard work of our clinical team, especially from our nursing and performance improvement departments,” said Cosmo J. LaCosta, Silvercrest Senior Vice President and Administrator. “Silvercrest continues to set the standard of excellence for long-term care and we continue to give quality to the lives of our patients.”
Two other facilities in Queens were awarded with grants. The Queens Adult Care Center was given $200,000 in funding for its expanded efforts to better ensure that residents are taking medications prescribed to them by their physician. Their enhanced tracking systems identify and record incidents, leading to better care for residents. St. Mary’s Hospital for Children was also awarded $200,000 for its development of a respiratory program designed to reduce the number of unexpected/urgent tracheotomy tube changes, leading to medical emergency transfers to acute care facilities.