Miami Children’s Hospital’s (MCH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) have each received a Gold Beacon Award for excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). MCH’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) has received AACN’S Silver Beacon Award for excellence.
MCH is one of only three children’s hospital in the nation to be awarded Gold and Silver Level Beacon Awards for all of their ICU’s and the only children’s hospital in Florida to receive this distinction. This recognition puts MCH among the top children’s hospitals in the country and demonstrates organizational commitment to critical care excellence.
“This achievement speaks to the commitment and excellence of the staff in all of our intensive care units and their dedication to outstanding patient and family outcomes regarding quality and safety,” said Jackie Gonzalez, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Miami Children’s Hospital. “We are extremely proud of their leadership and commitment to providing unparalleled care and support for the families who entrust us with their children.”
The Beacon Award for Excellence lauds U.S.-based hospital units that employ evidence-based practices to improve patient and family outcomes. Units that achieve this award demonstrate practices that align with AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards for Optimal Care. The Gold Award is the highest recognition level bestowed by AACN. Hospitals that receive the Gold Award demonstrate excellence in sustained unit performance and patient outcomes.
The NICU at Miami Children’s provides care for more than 800 critically ill newborns each year. In the past 20 years the MCH NICU, which was the first of its kind in South Florida, has received more than 10,000 premature and critically ill babies from throughout Florida and Central and South America. Most of these neonates were born at community hospitals after a premature or high-risk delivery. Approximately 60 percent of the babies admitted to the unit weigh less than three pounds.
The PICU at Miami Children’s is the most experienced pediatric and neonatal extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) resource for children with life-threatening heart and lung conditions in the State of Florida. It is one of three pediatric apheresis blood treatment centers in the State for children who require plasma exchange, red cell exchange, prosorba column, leukopheresis or stem-cell harvesting.
The CICU at Miami Children’s is one of the few pediatric CICUs in the nation. The unit provides highly specialized pre- and post-operative care for children undergoing cardiac surgery and interventional catheterization. The latest equipment and a multidisciplinary team ensure the finest care for pediatric cardiac patients. Innovative therapies available in the pediatric CICU include nitric oxide (an inhaled medication used to relax blood vessels), new inotropic agents, mechanical cardiac assist technology, and a computerized data collection and storage system providing an integrated database for management of patients with complex lesions.
About Miami Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012-2013 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.