MOUNT KISCO- The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), which provides care for acutely ill patients, was recently awarded a prestigious three-year gold-level Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This award recognizes the ICU for its sustained performance, patient satisfaction, and quality and safety outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. This is the second consecutive time the hospital has received the award. NWH is one of two medical-surgical intensive care units in New York State to be awarded the gold-level distinction.
“This is a significant milestone for our ICU and the critical-care nursing staff who care for patients recovering from acute illnesses,” said Catherine Manley-Cullen, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer at Northern Westchester Hospital. “The award validates the skills and outstanding collaborative care between our ICU staff, who deliver optimal patient-centered treatment.”
Units that receive the Beacon Award must meet the AACN’s healthy work environment standards in the following categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurements that meet or exceed relevant benchmarks.
The nursing department at NWH holds the Magnet designation for nursing excellence, a prestigious and coveted recognition that only one in 10 U.S. healthcare organizations qualify to receive. In addition, the hospital’s emergency department is one of 29 in the nation to be honored with the celebrated ENA Lantern Award – the only award dedicated to showcasing emergency departments for their outstanding emergency nursing care.
NWH is nationally recognized for its medical expertise and person-centered care. Most recently, U.S. News & World Report rated the hospital as high performing in 10 specialties and conditions, including geriatrics, COPD, hip fracture, pneumonia, stoke, pulmonology and lung surgery, heart failure, kidney failure, neurology and neurosurgery. The hospital earned a top ‘A’ rating for its patient safety from the national nonprofit Leapfrog Group for spring 2023. The hospital has also been awarded the Gold Certification for excellence in person-centered care by Planetree International and is the only hospital to achieve this certification six times.
