UHS fall-risk screening recognized by CDC

A fall-prevention program piloted by UHS and Broome County was recognized March 5 and 6 during a special site visit by representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC officials met with internal medicine specialist Frank Floyd, MD, and other members of the UHS team that implemented the fall-risk and fall-prevention endeavor.

During the visit, group discussions were held at UHS offices on the Vestal Parkway, as well as at the Broome County Health Department and Binghamton University. UHS representatives participating included John Carrigg, president and chief executive officer, as well as Dr. Floyd, other providers and department leaders. They were joined by representatives of the Health Department and other local healthcare leaders. The CDC’s recognition of the program was featured at a physician gathering at the University and at a dinner at Number 5 Restaurant, both on March 5.

Developed by the CDC, “Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI)” was pioneered by UHS Primary Care, the Health Department and the Broome County Office for Aging. It is designed to improve the lives of elderly primary care patients by determining their fall risk and helping them avoid falling. 

Since its inception in 2012, the program has received widespread national attention. It was featured during a 2015 presentation associated with the White House Conference on Aging and in the pages of the national news magazine U.S. News & World Report.

Dr. Floyd and his staff at UHS Primary Care Endwell piloted the national effort using an evidence-based approach. Their program encourages primary care providers to conduct regular screenings with patients age 65 and older to determine their risk of falling. UHS became the alpha test site in part because of its fully established electronic medical record system, which facilitated data collection and reporting to county and state health officials and the CDC.