American Association of Critical Care Nurses recognizes Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center for excellence

The Coronary Care Unit is honored with the AACN’s gold Beacon Award

For the second time in a row, the Coronary Care Unit at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center has received the gold Beacon Award for Excellence for 2016 through 2019. Units that achieve this three-year award meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

“The Beacon Award for Excellence represents a significant milestone for our critical care nurses,” said Critical Care Nursing Manager, Sharon Cullen, RN. “It’s a reflection of their hard work and dedication to provide exceptional patient care and a healthy work environment.”

The gold award recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care,” AACN President Clareen Wiencek, RN, PhD, said. “These dedicated health care professionals join other members of the exceptional community of nurses who set the standard for optimal patient care.

The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence signifies sustained unit performance and patient outcomes by meeting evidence-based criteria, including:

• Leadership structures and systems
• Appropriate staffing and staff engagement
• Effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development
• Evidence-based practice and processes
• Outcome measurement

There are 13 Beacon Award units in Oregon; of those, only four are gold. Two other Beacon Award designations are bronze and silver. The Intensive Care Unit at Asante Rogue Regional received a bronze Beacon designation in 2015 through 2018. Recipients who earn a bronze- level award demonstrate success in developing, deploying and integrating unit-based performance criteria for optimal outcomes. 

The Beacon Award for Excellence was established by AACN in 2003. The AACN was founded in 1969 and is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world.