National recognition for critical care, intensive and progressive care nurses and units serving as role models for excellent patient and family care
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has recognized Renown Health Intensive, Critical Care and Progressive Care Units (ICUs, CCUs, PCUs) with Beacon Awards for Excellence®. Renown Health is among the few organizations in the U.S. to achieve this distinction three times in a row. In addition, Renown Regional Medical Center’s Telemetry Unit has been honored with the Beacon Award, ® marking the first time this dedicated team has achieved Beacon status.
The Beacon Award for Excellence®, a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments, recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year award designations meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
“These dedicated healthcare professionals join our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care,” said AACN President Jennifer Adamski, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM. “I applaud the commitment of the caregivers at Renown Health for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence®.”
“Earning the Beacon Award for Excellence once is a remarkable achievement- but receiving it three times in a row is truly extraordinary,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Renown Health. This honor reflects the unwavering dedication, sustained performance and a relentless focus on quality and patient safety by our ICU nurses, critical care, intensive and progressive care physicians, and care teams who bring clinical excellence and compassionate care to the bedside every day. We are incredibly proud of their work and honored to be among the few organizations nationwide to achieve this distinction multiple times.”
Renown Health is among a select group of health systems nationwide with multiple Beacon-recognized ICUs, underscoring its role as the region’s Trauma Center and a leader in critical care. The four Beacon Awardees for Excellence ® for 2024 at Renown Regional Medical Center include:
“The Beacon Award for Excellence® recognizes units that follow a rigorous review process and meet evidence-based criteria in leadership, staffing, creating a healthy work environment, communication, and effective skills, competencies and practices that improve patient outcomes,” said Melodie Osborn, MBA, BSN, RN, Chief Nurse Executive, Renown Health. “This multiple unit recognition, for almost a decade of service, is a result of the consistent approach to care implemented by our nursing team. We congratulate our Progressive Care Telemetry Unit team for achieving Beacon status for the first time. Our nurses are highly skilled and compassionate professionals who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional care and strive to create a healing environment for all. We appreciated being nationally recognized for the extraordinary service we provide to our community every day.”
“Receiving the Beacon Award for Excellence® is a powerful affirmation of the incredible care our team provides every day,” said Taralynn Bassham, MBA, BSN, RN, Director of Nursing, Critical Care, who has served Renown Health for over a decade. “This honor reflects the strength of our team’s collaboration, the depth of our clinical expertise, and our commitment to create a healing environment for patients and families. I am inspired by our nurses, physicians and everyone on the team who continue to strive for this level of excellence in critical care.”
“We are deeply honored to be the only hospital in Nevada, and the first Progressive Care Unit in the state to receive the prestigious designation of a Beacon Award for Excellence®,” said Allie Saunders, MSN, RN, PCCN-K, Director of Nursing, PCU. “We celebrate this achievement, and we stand ready to assist other Progressive Care units across in the U.S. in setting the standard for exceptional patient care and safety. The Telemetry 8 team has consistently demonstrated excellence across multiple domains, earning this distinguished recognition through their unwavering commitment to patient safety, a people-first culture, and the prevention of patient harm. Their dedication exemplifies the very best of progressive care.”
A Progressive Care Telemetry Unit (also called PCU, Step-Down Unit or Intermediate Care Unit) is a hospital team that provides a higher level of care than a medical-surgical floor but less intensive than the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Telemetry Unit team continuously monitors patients using wireless devices that track vital signs like heart rate, EKG rhythms and oxygen levels. This allows healthcare professionals to observe patients who are stable but still need close observation- often recovering from a heart attack, surgery or chronic respiratory conditions.
“The Beacon Award is one of the highest honors an intensive care unit can achieve, and earning it reflects the exceptional caliber of our team,” said Rich King, MD, Chief of Critical Care at Renown Health. “Our physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and support team work together in partnership, guided by a shared commitment to clinical excellence and compassionate care. This recognition affirms that our patients are in the hands of one of the most dedicated and skilled critical care teams in the country. Congratulations all!”
As the region’s only Level 2 Trauma Center for adults and children, Renown serves over 1 million people and 100,000 square miles. In U.S. News and World Report Best Hospital Rankings, Renown Regional Medical Center is named #1 Hospital for the State of Nevada for 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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. and 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, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call (800) 899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.
About Renown Health
Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated health care network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8.000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health.
