Inova Alexandria Hospital Recognized Nationally for Excellence in Critical Care

Hospital Unit Receives Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence

Alexandria, VA – (March 24, 2010) — The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the largest specialty-nursing organization in the world, has awarded the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Inova Alexandria Hospital its Spring 2010 prestigious Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

This award signifies that the unit has:

• Met rigid criteria for excellence
• Exhibited high quality standards
• Demonstrated exceptional care of patients and patients’ families

“We’re very proud to be recognized and honored on a national level,” said Carol Feike RN, MSN, NE-BC, Patient Care Director, Inova Alexandria Hospital. “Our nursing staff is an extremely dedicated group that’s committed to using best practices and providing high-quality care for our patients.”

Inova Alexandria Hospital is one of just six hospitals in the Washington, DC, region to earn the Beacon award and one of 242 hospitals in the country to achieve this status.

“Earning a Beacon Award sends a clear message that these units are providing exceptional care and that their commitment to evidence-based practice is unwavering,” said Dave Hanson, RN, MSN, President, AACN.

The Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence is a recognition-award program funded
and supported solely by AACN. The goal is to recognize and highlight critical-care units that use quality indicators to evaluate the comprehensive environment of their unit and that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction and quality.

Inova Alexandria Hospital joins sister hospital Inova Fairfax in earning an AACN Beacon Award.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses.  Its international headquarters are located in Aliso Viejo, Calif.  Founded in 1969, the association has more than 240 chapters worldwide and is working toward a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families, where critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.  Additional information about AACN is available at www.aacn.org.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.