The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) announced that Dr. James Pedulla was nationally recognized for his leadership and service to the Center’s Elder Service Plan.
Pedulla, Medical Director of EBNHC’s Elder Service Plan Program, received the first PACE Pioneer Award for contributing to the growth and development of the PACE Program as a national model of care. Pedulla received the award at a National PACE Conference.
“I’m honored to receive this prestigious award that reinforces the high level of care and services we provide to our patients,” said Dr. Pedulla. “Thanks to the leadership and support of EBNHC, we’ve been able to significantly expand the program to ensure that seniors receive high quality care and the necessary services to remain in their homes, which also removes institutional costs from the health care system.”
PACE, which stands for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a program that provides medical care and other services that enable seniors to stay in their homes. EBNHC’s PACE Program enables adults, ages 55 and older, to live independently by providing integrated medical care, rehabilitation, geriatric case management, and adult day health services.
Some seniors participating in the Plan live in buildings, such as Lewis Mall and the Barnes School, that house Elder Service Plan programs, and they get all of their care under one roof.
Pedulla was instrumental in launching EBNHC’s Elder Service Plan Program in 1991, after searching for an innovative solution to care for the community’s elderly population. Over the past 25 years, Pedulla has helped expand the program to serve over 400 seniors.
Pedulla, who serves on the National PACE Association Primary Care Committee, initiated the use of electronic medical records to document, monitor, and coordinate the care of Elder Service Plan participants, including care that was provided at Elder Service Plan clinics and day programs, at home or in a hospital or nursing home. Additionally, Pedulla also focused on the measurement of patient outcomes to improve the quality of care provided by the Elder Service Plan.
“Dr. Pedulla is a pioneer of the PACE Model of Care,” said Senior Vice President for Geriatric Services at EBNHC Laura Wagner, RN,. “Through his leadership, including the use of electronic medical records and measurement of patient outcomes, the Elder Service Plan has enhanced the level of services we provide to our seniors. We are thrilled and honored that his 25 years of extraordinary leadership has been recognized by the National PACE Association in its very first PACE Pioneer Award.”
With locations in East Boston and Winthrop, the Elder Service Plan is open to all eligible seniors in Eastie, Chelsea, Revere, Everett and Winthrop.