Vail Health ICU Receives National Excellence Award

Vail Health’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has received the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This achievement places us among an elite group of facilities — only two other ICUs in Colorado hold 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 unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that earn this annual award with a gold, silver, or bronze designation meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses

Many units provide exceptional patient care; however, Beacon Awarded units distinguish themselves by excelling in many areas demonstrated in their application. Through participation in the Beacon Award Program units can compare and reflect on their performance compared to global applicants. All awardees demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of: Patient Outcomes, Nursing Workforce, and Work Environment.

This distinction is particularly notable for a small ICU like ours, reflecting the dedication of our staff and the impact of philanthropic support, which enables small rural hospitals like Vail Health to deliver exceptional critical care to our mountain communities.

Learn more about the Beacon Award on the AACN’s website.