We know that our grantees lead important efforts that are having an impact on the health of older adults. It is particularly reaffirming when other organizations recognize their outstanding contributions. In November, Mary Naylor, RN, PhD, FAAN, Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and Director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (a Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence), received the prestigious Episteme Award at the annual meeting of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Sponsored by the Baxter International Foundation, the Episteme Award is given annually to a nurse who has made a significant and clinically relevant contribution to nursing. The award recognized Dr. Naylor’s Transitional Care Model (TCM), which assigns a Transitional Care Nurse to chronically ill, high-risk older adults before hospital discharge to coordinate care and help prevent hospital readmissions. In clinical trials, the model has been proven effective in reducing preventable hospital readmissions for both primary and co-existing health conditions. Additionally, among those patients rehospitalized, the time between hospital discharge and readmission increased and the total number of inpatient days decreased. The Transitional Care Model is currently in use at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
We congratulate Dr. Naylor, who has also been instrumental in the success of Penn’s Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, on this well-deserved award!