NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Celebrates Critical Care Teams’ AACN Silver Beacon and DAISY Awards for Nursing Excellence
The recognitions highlight Elmhurst Hospital's Nursing Department's outstanding commitment to providing life-saving, high-quality and compassionate treatment to patients in intensive care
Mar 11, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today announced it received two distinguished national recognitions honoring its Critical Care and Medical Intensive Care Units. Both units received the Silver Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and the DAISY Team Award for Nursing Excellence from the DAISY Foundation.
Elmhurst Hospital’s Silver Beacon Award from the AACN recognizes the hospital’s deep commitment to improving patient outcomes in the CCU and MICU, as well as the promotion of workforce engagement, retention, and wellness initiatives for staff. The award from the DAISY Foundation, an international program that honors nursing teams for extraordinary compassion and clinical skill, recognizes collaborative efforts that elevate patient and family care during complex and often life-threatening medical situations.
“We are so proud of our CCU and MICU Nursing teams for earning these well-deserved recognitions,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Alina Moran. “Our nurses are dedicated healthcare professionals who provide compassionate, high-quality care in a safe environment every day. The Silver Beacon and DAISY Awards pay tribute to their outstanding commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork, improving patient outcomes, and implementing the highest standards of patient care.”
“Congratulations to the CCU and SICU team at Elmhurst Hospital for their Silver Beacon Awards,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President at Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN. “Beacon awards are indicative of strong nursing culture and high quality patient care and I am thrilled to celebrate this and future success with the Elmhurst Hospital team.”
“Behind every award, there are people There is leadership with vision, and a team with heart,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Chief Nursing Officer Devon A. Bennett, MSN, RN, CENP, LSSGB. “Thank you for demonstrating continual learning, effective systems, and a relentless commitment to optimal patient care.”
“Our CCU and MICU nurses are making headlines with their exemplary leadership and dedication, setting a standard for others to follow,” said NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Gail Young, DNP, RN. “Their commitment and achievements truly stand out in our healthcare community, and I am proud to support them on their journey to excellence.”
The event program included congratulatory remarks by Hospital and Nursing Department leadership, followed by reflections on the origins of the DAISY Award and the reading of the DAISY nomination highlighting the team’s impact on patients and families, certificate presentations, a pinning ceremony, and the presentation of the DAISY Foundation’s Healing Touch sculpture. The celebration concluded with a reception in honor of the award recipients and their families.
Elmhurst Hospital’s Critical Care and Medical Intensive Care Units provide advanced, life-saving care for patients experiencing cardiac emergencies, respiratory failure, severe infections, and other critical conditions. These prestigious recognitions highlight the hospital’s deep investment in promoting leadership, innovation, evidence-based practice, and patient safety initiatives.
For more information on programs and services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, please contact 718-334-4000 or visit us at nychealthandhospitals.org/elmhurst. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @elmhursthosp.
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Media Contact: Atiya Butler, Director of External Affairs, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, 917-319-5167
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care institution offering exceptional services across a wide range of specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health care. In the past year alone, the hospital received nearly one million ambulatory care visits and over 140,000 emergency room visits, reflecting its essential role in the community. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been nationally ranked and recognized as a “Best Regional Hospital” by U.S. News & World Report in critical areas such as Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @elmhursthosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.