The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Methodist Medical Center has been awarded a Bronze Beacon Award for Excellence in critical care from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with Association of Critical Care Nurses standards. Units that earn this three-year, three-level award with gold, silver and bronze designations, meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

AACN President Mary Stahl congratulated the commitment of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Methodist for working together to meet and exceed the High standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence.

The Beacon Award recognizes caregivers whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence based care optimizes patient outcomes. The Methodist award recognizes excellence in the follow areas:

· Leadership structures and systems
· Appropriate staffing and staff engagement
· Effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development, best practices
· Evidence based practice and processes
· Patient outcomes

The CVICU at Methodist joins an elite group identified as leaders in critical care throughout the nation. There are over 6,000 intensive care units nationally and fewer than 50 have been designated as a gold, silver or bronze Beacon Designated Critical Care Unit. This recognition is only the second such award given in Illinois. There are no Beacon award recipients in Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, or Tennessee under the new 3 year award criteria.