Meet the West Health Accelerator at MGB Team: Courtney Croke, RN

The West Health Accelerator at Mass General Brigham is an innovative collaboration between MGB and the West Health Institute that is transforming healthcare for older adults. One of the Accelerator’s four interventions is building a network of geriatric care champions across MGB’s diverse healthcare settings to hardwire positive change across the system. These “West Health Champions” are currently being trained in geriatric care, change management, and quality improvement.

As a West Health Champion and charge nurse on the Burn and Trauma Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Courtney Croke is helping teams collaborate more effectively and deliver holistic care for older patients and their families.

Q&A

What do you enjoy about working to enhance care for older patients?

Courtney Croke: It’s exciting to collaborate with colleagues across the hospital to better serve our geriatric patients. These learning opportunities are equipping me with the knowledge to apply evidence-based practices directly to my work, and to share insights with my colleagues.

How are you sharing your knowledge with your colleagues?

CC: I lead a unit-based practice council, which is a collaborative team forum where staff come together to discuss improvements within our specific unit. Through this council, I’m able to share what I’ve learned about caring for older patients with colleagues across my floor.  This ensures that my entire team of nurses, patient care assistants and unit coordinators stays informed and ready to implement best practices for older patients.

Can you share an example of how this work has improved patient care on your unit?

CC: Sure, one example was implementing a daily safety huddle. This is a meeting where nurses, patient care assistants, and unit coordinators gather to discuss the needs of our high-risk, vulnerable patients. By identifying these patients early, our team can provide more targeted and proactive care. The safety huddle has not only increased staff communication but has also significantly reduced falls. After implementing the huddle, we had a 23% reduction in total patient falls and a 43% decrease in falls among patients over age 65. The success of this initiative led to the safety huddle being adopted hospital wide.

What have you learned about providing care to older patients?

CC: It’s important to take a holistic approach that addresses the complex needs of older adults — such as managing delirium, preserving the sleep-wake cycle, and maintaining mobility. This approach has allowed me to treat my patients as a whole person, not just for their primary diagnosis. For example, even something as simple as making sure a patient is out of bed during the day can significantly improve their mental health and reduce their risk of complications. I’ve found that this has helped my patients recover more quickly and safely.

I also better understand the importance of educating families. For example, I often explain to family members why we do certain things, like mouth care or adjusting sleep patterns. It’s a way to keep them involved and ensure that they’re also equipped to care for their loved ones. I’ve found that when families are well-informed, they feel more confident and empowered in supporting their loved ones’ recovery.

What excites you most about the West Health Accelerator?

CC: I think this program has the potential to transform older adult care throughout the MGB system. Our geriatric patients are among the most vulnerable, and I believe that having the entire care team confident in providing specialized care will improve outcomes significantly. When every member of the healthcare team is empowered to support geriatric care, the collective impact will be profound.