Hebrew SeniorLife’s Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health recognized as an age-friendly health system

Institute of Healthcare Improvement recognizes third Hebrew SeniorLife Unit

2025-01-27

(Press-News.org) Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities and the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School, announces that its Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health has been recognized by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as an Age-Friendly Health System, level 2, Committed to Care Excellence.

To qualify as an Age-Friendly Health System, level 2, the Wolk Center, which provides comprehensive outpatient care related to brain health, cognitive and behavioral problems, and memory loss, whether due to Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, or other neurological or psychiatric conditions, documented three months of data which shows that it provides expertly designed care for older adults, with a proven commitment to each patient’s needs, values, preferences, and beliefs as they age.

The Wolk Center joins Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – Boston, in Roslindale, and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – NewBridge, in Dedham, which received the IHI designation in 2022 for meeting IHI’s rigorous standards for Long-Term Chronic Care Services as well as Rehabilitation Services.

An initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Age-Friendly Health Systems follow IHI’s 4M quality framework, comprised of four components: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. The goals of an Age-Friendly Health System are to follow key evidence-based practices, cause no harm, and align with What Matters to seniors and their caregivers.

“One aspect that differentiates the Wolk Center is that many of our clinicians are involved in clinical trials as part of Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, where they discover, test, and prove new treatments,” said Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, medical director, Wolk Center, who combines delivering patient care with conducting research that’s recognized as one of the top neuroscience researchers, according to Research.com. “Our teams are focused on listening to the concerns and goals of our patients and their families, allowing us to tailor a plan for diagnosis and treatment that meets their needs while informing a research enterprise that is inspired by real clinical problems and thus leads to fundamental novel insights while helping individuals who are in need,” he said.

“Part of being an Age-Friendly Health System is an understanding that we’re not just treating a disease or a condition but helping a person who may be dealing with several medical issues,” said Lingda Hou, NHA, administrative director, Wolk Center. “To achieve level 2 recognition, we enhanced our data collection processes to accurately capture how the 4Ms are integrated into the multidisciplinary, longitudinal care we provide in the outpatient setting.”

Hou added, “We’re proud of the high-quality care we provide and the dedicated Wolk team whose efforts in collecting and reporting this data made Level 2 recognition possible.”

About Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 4,500 seniors a day across campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; Jack Satter House, Revere; and Leyland Community, Dorchester. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $98 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 500 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

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