SMH Cardiac Unit Earns National Award for Excellence

Sarasota Memorial’s Cardiovascular Thoracic Stepdown/Cardiac Progressive 3 Unit recently was honored for its high-quality care, earning a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical–Care Nurses (AACN). The national honor — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — singles out units that successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s 6 Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this 3-year, 3-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award. Cardiac Progressive 3 is the third SMH nursing unit to earn a Beacon Award. The hospital’s Critical Care Unit has earned a silver-level Beacon Award, and its Cardiac Acute/Cardiac Progressive 1 Unit received a gold award. To earn the honors, all of the units have demonstrated excellence in categories including leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. “Sarasota Memorial’s Cardiovascular and Thoracic Services have repeatedly earned national recognition for superior care, and the Cardiac Progressive 3 Unit is instrumental in providing the specialized expertise and outstanding patient experience that lead to our excellent outcomes,” said SMH Chief Nursing Officer Connie Andersen. “The Beacon Award validates staff’s dedication and hard work.”   “Receiving a Beacon Award for Excellence demonstrates a team’s commitment to providing safe, patient-centered and evidence-based care to patients and families,” said AACN President Megan Brunson, MSN, RN, CNL, CCRN-CSC, adding that SMH’s “dedicated health care professionals join other members of our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care.”