URMC Cardiac ICU Earns Third Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence

For the third consecutive year. a prestigious honor that recognizes the nation’s top hospital intensive care units (ICUs) has once again been awarded to Strong Memorial Hospital’s cardiac-vascular intensive care unit, CVICU/7-1600.

The Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence, sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, is given to ICUs that consistently exhibit high quality standards, exceptional care of patients and families, and healthy work environments.

Each year, University of Rochester Medical Center staff members provide specialized care for about 1,000 patients on the 14-bed cardiac-vascular ICU who are undergoing treatment for a wide range of complex cardiovascular surgical and medical issues, including advanced heart failure, which require a high level of sophisticated and coordinated care.

In addition, the CVICU is home to the region’s only Critical Care Transport Team, which operates a customized ambulance to transport critically ill cardiac patients from outlying areas to URMC. These patients are often too sick to travel by standard ambulance service and require the extensive training of staff and specialized equipment in order to make the one- to two-hour trip to Rochester.

“The goal of our multidisciplinary team is to provide the best service for our patients and their loved ones,” said nurse manager Larry Stalica, R.N., B.S.N.. “We consistently implement the latest evidence-based research to ensure our practices provide the highest quality health care possible.”

The Beacon Award represents the unit’s ongoing focus regarding quality improvement of patent care, said Kathy Parrinello, chief operating officer for Strong Memorial Hospital. “We are extremely proud of the staff of 7-1600 and the commitment they demonstrate each day. It is no surprise they have been recognized as one of the nation’s best ICUs.”