This prestigious award is given to ICUs that distinguish themselves by improving every facet of patient care.
For our patients, the Beacon Award signifies exceptional care through improved outcomes and exceptional overall satisfaction. For critical care nurses, it means a positive, supportive work environment with greater collaboration between colleagues and leaders, higher morale and lower turnover.
More than 300 units nationwide have received a Beacon Award since 2010, which is a testament to the difficulty of achieving these standards of excellence. Only eleven Beacon Awards have been achieved by programs in Georgia.
GMC-Lawrenceville is the only unit in the state to win five consecutive awards and GMC-Duluth is a two-time winner. GMC-Duluth has achieved this award both times they applied. Furthermore, the Duluth unit is one of two ICUs in Georgia to receive gold status.
Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in the following categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement.
AACN President Teri Lynn Kiss, RN, applauds the commitment of the caregivers at both these hospitals for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in stellar 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,” she explains.
About Gwinnett Health System
Gwinnett Health System (GHS) is the parent company of Gwinnett Medical Center, Gwinnett Medical Group and Sequent Health Physician Partners. GHS employs 4,800 associates and has 800 affiliated physicians serving more than 400,000 patients annually. Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) is a nationally-recognized, not-for-profit healthcare network with acute-care hospitals in Lawrenceville and Duluth. Additional facilities include: the Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion, the Gwinnett Extended Care Center, Glancy Rehabilitation Center, outpatient health centers and surgical centers, imaging centers and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy facilities. In 2014, GMC was recognized by Georgia Trend as the top large hospital in the state. To learn more about how GMC is transforming healthcare, visit gwinnettmedicalcenter.org.
About the Beacon Award for Excellence: Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. or Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call (800) 899-2226.
