The W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center’s Carolina Pride Community Living Center (CLC) has been officially recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence, effective August 14, 2025. This significant national honor underscores the Salisbury VA’s dedication to providing high-quality, evidence-based care specifically tailored for older adult veterans. The recognition highlights the center’s consistent implementation of the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework, a collaborative initiative spearheaded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and IHI, aimed at ensuring equitable and personalized care for seniors across all healthcare interactions.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems Framework: The “4Ms”
The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative is built upon a framework known as the “4Ms”: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. This approach focuses on understanding and aligning care with each veteran’s individual health goals and preferences (“What Matters”), optimizing medication regimens to avoid harm or interference with well-being (“Medication”), proactively addressing cognitive health by identifying and treating issues like dementia, delirium, and depression (“Mentation”), and promoting safe movement and function to maintain independence (“Mobility”). By reliably incorporating these four elements, healthcare systems commit to providing care that is safe, effective, person-centered, and causes no harm.
Commitment to Excellence in Veteran Care
Charles D. Collins, acting executive director of the Salisbury VA Health Care System, expressed pride and humility regarding the achievement. “Salisbury VA has always been committed to care excellence and is proud and humbled to have achieved this external recognition,” Collins stated. He emphasized that the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative is a crucial component of the VA’s vision to deliver the best possible care to every older veteran. The center’s recognition signifies a robust commitment to earning the trust and satisfaction of the older veterans and their caregivers whom they serve. Camille Burnett, Vice President for Health Equity at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, applauded the Salisbury VA team, noting, “We know that older adults and staff alike want equitable, evidence-based quality care centered on what matters most to each individual.”
A Growing National Movement
The Salisbury VA Carolina Pride CLC joins a substantial and growing network of healthcare organizations nationwide that have achieved this prestigious recognition. Globally, over 5.47 million older adults have benefited from care aligned with the 4Ms framework. This initiative, supported by partnerships including the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, aims to transform healthcare delivery for the aging American population. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) itself has been actively engaged in this movement, with over 100 VA medical centers participating, striving to make the VHA the largest integrated healthcare system recognized for age-friendly practices. The Salisbury VA’s achievement is a testament to its proactive engagement within this national effort.
Broader Impact and Future Outlook
Achieving Age-Friendly Health System status reflects a strategic shift towards a more holistic and veteran-centric approach to care. This model has been shown in studies to lead to significant improvements, including reduced emergency visits, fewer hospital readmissions, decreased falls, and better overall patient satisfaction. By embedding the 4Ms into daily practice, the Salisbury VA is not only enhancing the quality of life for its veteran patients but also contributing to a broader national effort to ensure that all older adults receive the highest standard of age-appropriate care. This recognition positions the Salisbury VA Carolina Pride CLC as a leader in geriatric care excellence within the American healthcare landscape.
