The Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit was first established as the Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Unit (GETU) in 1983. In 1993 a generous gift established it as the Lester Eisner, Jr., GETU. In 1996 the GETU was expanded from 17 to 34 beds to make its special approach to hospitalized elderly patients available to larger numbers of patients, and to expand the training capabilities for medical residents.

Renamed the Acute Care for the Elderly Unit, and located in Guggenheim Pavilion, it is a specialized, interdisciplinary service that demonstrates state-of-the-art care for frail elderly patients who are hospitalized with acute illnesses and complex needs. It is a "center of excellence" for the care of common treatable and potentially reversible medical problems, with the goal of having patients return to the community at their prior level of functioning.

Our aim is to help patients avoid the hazards of hospitalization that typically result from being bed bound and physically isolated. These well described hazards include muscle weakness and walking skill deterioration, which lead to the inability to care for oneself and loss of independence, along with social and emotional detachment that can sap the motivation to work on regaining strength.