Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center’s Geriatric Surgery Verification Program Recognized for Excellence

At the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, geriatric patients have an integrated team of providers who care for their total health: mind, body, and spirit.

The hospital recently received the Level 1 – Comprehensive Excellence Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The program uses evidence-based standards to help improve surgical care and outcomes for patients 75 years and older.

Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara is the 14^th hospital in the United States to receive this verification. Kaiser Permanente Northern California has six other hospitals that have achieved this designation: Antioch, Fremont, Richmond, Walnut Creek, Oakland, and Fresno. The Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center was one of the nation’s first hospitals to achieve verification in 2021.

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“At Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara, we are focused on enhancing the care of our geriatric patients,” said Christopher Gouveia, MD, a Kaiser Permanente surgeon who helped lead the verification effort. “We view this designation as an important step ensuring the care we provide is optimized through surgery and aligned with the goals of our senior surgical patients.”

Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are living longer than any generation before them. By the year 2050, senior citizens will represent 22% of the U.S. population.

At Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara, a team of providers evaluates older patients before surgery to ensure they have the support they will need post-surgery. For example, the team may consider what impact surgery will have on a patient who has mobility issues and how it will impact their recovery once they are home.

“If a patient who has a hip replacement lives alone and they can’t walk very far, or if they live in a second-floor apartment, we need to consider how surgery will impact their healing and recovery,” said Hemant Keny, MD, regional co-lead of the KP Northern California Senior Surgical Care Program.

Healthcare providers also consult with the patient and their family about the risks a complex operation could have on their quality of life.

“Some of them may choose a non-surgical option,” said Mark DuLong, MD, assistant physician in chief at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara, who also oversaw the verification process. “They may feel like a non-surgical option is what’s best for them as they consider the long-term implications surgery may have on their overall health.”

After surgery, patient-centered care includes prompt return of personal sensory equipment, such as glasses and hearing aids, as well as geriatric-friendly rooms with windows and large clocks to help prevent delirium. The care team also conducts medication, nutrition, and rehabilitative services evaluations before discharge. Patients go home with a plan in hand.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Senior Surgical Care Program focuses on 4 key areas of geriatric surgical excellence identified by the American College of Surgeons: goals and decision-making, avoiding delirium, preventing functional deterioration, and nutrition and hydration.

“This program allows us to make sure we are meeting the needs of our older patient population and providing them with the support they need to lead healthy, productive lives,” DuLong said.

Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center’s Geriatric Surgery Verification Program Recognized for Excellence

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