NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Burn Intensive Care Unit Recognized with American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Silver-Level Beacon Award for Excellence
The unit at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem is the only Burn Intensive Care Unit in New York City, only the second in New York State, and only one of four in the United States to earn silver-level designation National three-year award marks a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and achieving a healthy work environment
May 10, 2024
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem announced today that the Burn Intensive Care Unit recently received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). The unit at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem is the only Burn Intensive Care Unit in New York City, only the second in New York State, and only one of four in the United States to earn this silver-level designation. 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, three-level award with gold, silver or bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
The silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence signifies an effective approach to policies, procedures and processes that includes engagement of staff and key stakeholders. The unit has evaluation and improvement strategies in place and good performance measures when compared to relevant benchmarks. BICU at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlemearned its silver award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:
- Leadership Structures and Systems
- Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
- Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Learning and Development
- Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
- Outcome Measurement
“I am extremely proud to recognize NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Burn Intensive Care Unit for earning the silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN),” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “It is extremely rare for any burn unit to achieve this high level of performance. As one of only four burn units in the nation, the second in New York state, and the first and only burn unit in New York City to receive this prestigious recognition, Harlem’s Burn ICU has definitely set a standard for nursing excellence in acute and critical care. We celebrate and applaud our nurses’ momentous achievements.”
“As the proud CEO OF NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, it is an honor to celebrate and congratulate the Burn Intensive Care Unit for receiving the Silver-Level Beacon Award of Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN),” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Chief Executive Officer Georges H. Leconte, MPA, FAB. “In my profession as a Respiratory Therapist, I spent many years working alongside nurses in critical care environments. I can attest to the compassion and dedication that goes into caring for burn cases. It is no secret that our nurses work hard at ensuring that our patients, some with the most critical injuries, receive best-in-class care leading to positive health outcomes. Seeing burn intensive care patients in recovery as a result of the consistent and intentional efforts of our Critical Care nursing team is the reason NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem now stands as a beacon of hope for critical care patients throughout the United States.”
“Congratulations to the NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Burn Intensive Care interdisciplinary team on receiving the Silver-Level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN),” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Acting Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Kennedy, MSN, RN. “In my 30+ years nursing career at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, this is the first designation of its kind. To stand as the only Burn Intensive Care unit in New York City to receive this great distinction, I know it is due to the tireless commitment of our rock star frontline critical care nurses and their unwavering dedication to excellent patient care. It takes a lot of compassion and courage to tend to critical burn injuries and the Harlem Nurses do it best.”
“Congratulations to the NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Burn Intensive Care Unit for earning the silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN),” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Director of Nursing Professional Development Lovelyamma Varghese DNP, FNP, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, Coldiron Fellow. “This award is not only a testament of the high-quality, evidence-based care provided by our nursing staff, but also demonstrates the human touch and compassionate patient and family-centered care delivered by our Burn ICU nurses daily. I salute our Harlem Burn Intensive Care Nurses for their solid commitment to high-quality customer-oriented patient care.”
AACN President Terry Davis, PhD, RN, NE-BC, CHTP, FAAN, applauds the exemplary efforts of the caregivers at BICU at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence. “These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of the exceptional community of nurses who set the standard for optimal patient care,” Davis said. “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.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Philip D. Cooke and Jeanette N McGill, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, 212-939-1372
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem is a 268-bed hospital that provides a broad array of preventive, primary and acute care services including general medicine and medical subspecialties, general surgery and surgical subspecialties, infectious diseases, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatology, critical care, imaging, radiology and nuclear medicine, rehabilitation medicine, psychiatry and substance abuse services, dental and oral surgery, physical, speech and occupational therapies. They are an Area-Wide Burn Center and Level II Trauma, with Centers of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery, Breast Imaging and Sexual Assault Forensics, a designated Stroke and AIDS Center, a World Health Organization’s UNICEF Designated Baby Friendly. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/harlem
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 MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 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.
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 @AACNme.