The Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit is the first of its kind in North Carolina and one of only a few in the country. This unit is designed to treat older adults with acute medical problems requiring hospital admission. The ACE Unit, under the medical direction of Hal Atkinson, M.D., is a 16-bed facility for elderly patients who are hospitalized with acute illnesses and complex needs.

The Acute Care for the Elderly unit is different from most hospital units in that patients receive comprehensive treatment by a full team of healthcare providers including nurses, physical occupational therapists, recreational therapy, a social worker and a nutritionist led by a team of geriatric specialists. These geriatric specialists are a trained to look for problems that are complex and unique to the older population.