Aurora Medical Center Summit (AMCS) embarked on an Age-Friendly journey in the Spring of 2024. This initiative focuses on the 4Ms: What Matters Most, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility. The project started with the formation of a steering committee that included all stakeholders, particularly front-line champions, to strategize workflows and processes that would seamlessly facilitate the delivery of these best practices. One of the standout moments was the increased focus on mobility through the “Golden Shoe” competition among inpatient units. During the last quarter of 2024, inpatient units competed weekly on various mobility measures, including distance ambulated, increasing hallway ambulation, and ambulation with patients using assistive devices. 

The results were impressive with the unit piloting the Age-Friendly work, reducing their average first time out of bed from 3.60 hours to 2.55 hours and their ambulation counts increased by 43% in one week. Assessing and acting on What Matters Most was a new process for the teammates. By the end of the pilot the assessment of this measure reached 54% and the patient experience score of RN/MD listened, reflecting this assessment, averaged 80%. An additional positive result from this pilot was an increase of 11% of patients discharging home. AMCS remains committed to Age-Friendly work and plans to disseminate these practices hospital-wide throughout 2025.