Greenville, NC – The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded ECU Health Medical Center Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence for 2025. This national honor recognizes units that demonstrate exceptional patient care, outstanding outcomes and a commitment to creating and sustaining healthy work environments.
“Earning the Beacon Award for Excellence is a powerful reflection of the dedication our Surgical Intensive Care Unit nursing team brings to patients every single day,” said Trish Baise, chief nursing executive, ECU Health. “This recognition affirms ECU Health’s commitment to evidence based practice, teamwork and a healthy work environment that allows exceptional care to thrive. I am incredibly proud of this team and the standard of excellence they continue to set for our organization and for eastern North Carolina.”
The ECU Health Medical Center SICU is a 24-bed unit that provides support for nearly 900 critically ill surgical and trauma patients per year and is a crucial part of ECU Health Medical Center as a Level I Trauma Center. The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. These include the overall health of the work environment, better nurse staffing and retention, less morale distress and lower rates of workplace violence. Units that earn this annual award meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses can influence to achieve nursing excellence.
“This achievement reflects the extraordinary skill, compassion and resilience our SICU nurses bring to the bedside every day,” said Tara Stroud, chief nursing officer, ECU Health Medical Center. “The Beacon Award underscores ECU Health nurses’ unwavering commitment to delivering safe, evidence-based care in an environment where teamwork and professional growth truly thrive. Their focus on continuous improvement directly elevates the experience and outcomes of the patients we serve.”
Beacon-awarded units distinguish themselves by excelling in various areas demonstrated in their application. Through participation in the Beacon Award program, units can compare and reflect on their performance compared to global applicants. According to AACN, all awardees demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of patient outcomes, nursing workforce and work environment.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes,” said AACN President Rebekah Marsh, BSN, RN, CCRN. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”