ECMC Medical ICUs Receive National Excellence Award

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognizes ECMC’s Medical Intensive Care Units North and South with gold Beacon Award for Excellence

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – ECMC’s Medical Intensive Care Units (MICU) North and South were each recently recognized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) with a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence. With this accomplishment, ECMC is 1 of 2 Level 1 Trauma Centers in New York State with more than 1 Gold Beacon Unit, 1 of 7 hospitals in the state with more than one Gold Beacon unit, and one of two hospitals in Western New York with more than one Gold Beacon unit.

The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by ECMC’s MICU North and South nurses signify effective and systematic approaches to policies, procedures, and processes.

AACN President Jennifer Adamski, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM, applauded the commitment of ECMC’s dedicated caregivers on MICU North and South for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence. These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care.

President Adamski said, “The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes. Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”

Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, ECMC President and CEO said, “This is an exciting and well-deserved achievement for our medical ICU nurses. ECMC receives transfers from all over Western New York and takes care of some of the sickest patients in our region. This award is very gratifying recognition from a trusted and highly respected national organization dedicated to nursing excellence in acute and trauma patient care. The AACN’s Gold Beacon Award for Excellence is further evidence of ECMC’s national best-in-class patient care that we have become known for throughout our community.”

Among other awards and accreditations, the AACN’s Gold Beacon Award for Excellence is further evidence of ECMC’s national best-in-class patient care known throughout the Western New York community. To learn more about the Beacon Award for Excellence, visit www.aacn.org/beacon.

The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with gold, silver or bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by ECMC’s MICU North and South signifies an effective and systematic approach to policies, procedures and processes that include engagement of staff and key stakeholders; factbased evaluation strategies for continuous process improvement; and performance measures that meet or exceed relevant benchmarks. MICU North and South at ECMC earned a gold award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria: