Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Opens New Geriatric Unit

On Apr 28, 2022

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has opened a new comprehensive geriatric unit consisting of 24 private rooms, spanning two floors of the hospital.

“This new unit is part of our ongoing commitment to delivering world class care to our patients at every age and stage of life,” said Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. “We have equipped every room and hallway to ensure that older adults and their loved ones have an excellent experience and receive the highest quality care in the safest environment.”

The new geriatric unit features rooms large enough to accommodate physical therapy activities, beds specifically designed to reduce pressure injuries and reduce fall hazards, cushioned slip resistant flooring, sliding doors to private bathrooms, with bathroom guard rails for ease of access. In addition, select rooms have been outfitted with equipment to support patients who are not ambulatory.

The hallways are brightly colored with color blocking patterns that help guide and orient patients. Hallways are also fitted with guardrails, pull out seating, a centralized nursing station and dimmable lighting. The unit also features wheelchair accessible family visitor lounges.

“Our goal is to exceed the individual expectations of each patient, to decrease the stress commonly associated with older adult care and to promote wellness in older adults,” said Amy Doran, RN, MS, APRN-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ).

The new geriatric unit further enhances patient care for older adults at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Newark Beth Israel is a NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) Exemplar hospital. In addition to specialized inpatient care, the hospital offers specialized emergency care for older adults in the Donald M. Payne, Sr., Geriatric Emergency Department.

This new geriatric unit is part of an extensive $150 million expansion project, The Newark Strong project is the largest expansion of the hospital in more than 50 years. Once complete, it will transform the Lyons Avenue landscape and create a more welcoming space for the surrounding community and patients, a space that reflects the level of care delivered as well as the hospital’s commitment as an anchor institution in the city of Newark and the South Ward. A key component of the project will be the hospital’s new main lobby, an estimated 17,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed space, that will move the hospital’s front entrance back onto Lyons Avenue. The project also includes expanded adult and pediatric emergency departments, new hybrid operating rooms, a new critical care unit, and a brand-new renovated maternity unit.

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