Columbia Memorial Health Primary Care Clinics Recognized for Excellence in Delivering High-Quality Care for Older Adults
Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) primary care sites across Columbia and Greene counties were recognized recently as an Age-Friendly Health System for their commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care for older adults. The honor comes from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the John A. Hartford Foundation, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative aims to help health care organizations implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults. In February, CMH was recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System for its commitment to caring for older hospitalized patients.
As the largest primary care provider in Columbia and Greene counties, the recent award reflects the importance of primary care as a critical resource for all people and communities. The following primary care centers were recognized for high-quality age-friendly care:
• Cairo Family Care
• Cairo Main Street Family Care
• Chatham-Ghent Family Care
• Columbia Memorial Family Care
• Hudson Medical Care
• Jefferson Heights Family Care
• Kinderhook Medical Care
• Lafayette Family Care
• Prime Medical Care
• Tannersville Family Care
• Valatie Family Care
• Windham Medical Care
The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative focuses on delivering care that is evidence-based, aligned with patient goals, and reliably implemented across care settings. At CMH, this recognition affirms a structured, organization-wide approach to addressing the clinical and functional needs of aging patients through coordinated, interdisciplinary care.
“We are proud to announce that our medical practices have earned the Age-Friendly designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. This recognition reflects our deep commitment to delivering care that truly meets the needs of older adults—honoring what matters most to them, optimizing medications, protecting cognition and mobility, and ensuring every patient is treated with dignity and respect,” said Dorothy Urschel, president and CEO of CMH.
Achieving and sustaining this level of care requires consistent clinical practice and engagement from CMH’s providers and staff. Care teams integrate age-friendly principles into routine workflows by assessing what matters most to patients, optimizing medication use, supporting mobility and function, and coordinating care across disciplines. This commitment reflects ongoing clinical education, performance monitoring, and shared accountability to ensure high-quality, safe, and patient-centered care for older adults.
For our patients and families, the designation means they can expect:
• Care that incorporates patient goals and preferences into clinical decision-making.
• A focus on appropriate medication management and risk reduction.
• Support for mobility, function, and independence.
• Proactive management of health needs to support quality of life.
“Receiving the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Medical Practices designation is a meaningful milestone that validates the extraordinary work of our entire clinical team. It reinforces our promise to provide older adults with safer, more personalized care that preserves independence and improves outcomes, and it inspires us to keep raising the standard of geriatric excellence across every one of our locations,” said Ed McNamara, vice president of Physician Practice at CMH.
CMH will continue to advance age-friendly practices across its services, ensuring that older adults receive comprehensive, compassionate care close to home.