Junior Board Medicine Ball raises thousands for hospital care of older adults
The Junior Board of Christiana Care Inc.’s Medicine Ball on May 13 resulted in a gift of $73,725 to Christiana Care for the new Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) unit opening this fall on the 8th floor of the Carol A. Ammon South Tower at Wilmington Hospital. The check was presented at the Junior Board’s General Membership Luncheon on June 7.
Honorary Medicine Ball co-chairs Edmondo Robinson, M.D., MBA, chief transformation officer, and Sharon Kurfuerst, EdD, OTR/L, FACHE, FAOTA, FABC, senior vice president, health services operations for Christiana Care Health System, gave attendees some insight into the benefits and advantages of having a nursing unit that focuses on health care for the elderly.
“Dr. Robinson and I were delighted to be honorary co-chairs for the 2016 Medicine Ball,” Kurfuerst said. “Much of our careers at Christiana Care have been at Wilmington Hospital, and we have seen time and again the difference the ACE Unit makes in the lives of our older patients and their families. The new ACE Unit has been an important project for both of us, and we are thrilled to see it coming to fruition.
“We designed the ACE Unit for the unique care needs of elderly patients — needs that can change quickly or mask other issues. A mild fever in an elderly patient can cause confusion, leading to a fall and to a bone fracture. Mild problems can quickly exacerbate illness. Funds raised for the ACE Unit will go directly to the patient environment, equipment and materials that can sustain and improve functional, psychosocial and cognitive abilities — the keys to independent living.
