Our People

Unit of Distinction

June 30, 2019

Honoring HCA Healthcare’s top nursing operations.

Launched in 2015, the annual Unit of Distinction (UOD) award program recognizes exemplary nursing units at HCA Healthcare facilities nationwide, where some 94,000 nurses are employed. The program is a component of our strategic focus on evidence-based practice, innovative care models and sharing to find the best of the best across our organization.

Departments must meet rigorous requirements to earn the Unit of Distinction designation: measurable performance in advocacy and leadership, consistency in nursing practice and operations, and leveraging scale to drive performance.

During 2018, approximately 1,200 HCA Healthcare nursing units participated in the program. The five recipients of the award are considered to be in the top 5% of all HCA Healthcare medical-surgical, critical care, emergency services  and surgical services nursing units.

A vital part of the program is HCA Healthcare’s sponsorship of nurses to obtain national certification through programs accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties. This year, more than 2,600 HCA Healthcare affiliated nurses advanced their individual and professional skills to earn certification.

Jane D. Englebright, Ph.D., RN, CENP, FAAN, HCA Healthcare’s chief nursing executive and senior vice president, says the UOD award “acknowledges that it takes a high-performing team of nurses demonstrating a high level of commitment to achieve results like these.”

Nursing is the cornerstone of patient care and a differentiator or HCA Healthcare. Our nurses give voice to the needs of our patients and ensure our mission is lived out every day across our organization.

— Sam Hazen, CEO, HCA Healthcare

Category:

Emergency Services
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center

Dept. 780/Emergency Department, Idaho Falls, Idaho

The staff mindset is: If we can meet a standard, why don’t we beat the standard and do it better than we did before? … By mastering the simple things, the hard things become achievable. At the end of the day, they’ve perfected teamwork.

— Nicole Storer, Unit leader

Category:

Medical-Surgical
Medical City Dallas Hospital

Dept. 619/Orthopedics, Dallas, Texas

Thank you to each and every staff member. Without you, this success would be impossible. We’re very fortunate to have a team that always aims for excellence.

— Shivas Niduasa, Former unit leader (now with Medical City Plano)

Category:

Critical Care/ICU

Rapides Regional Medical Center

Dept. 653/Surgical ICU, Alexandria, La.

This is for my work family that I’m honored to be able to serve. Devotion to patients is the reason miracles have become commonplace.

— Matthew Beach, Unit leader

Category:

Critical Care/Progressive Care Unit
Oak Hill Hospital

Dept. 625/IMC (Intermediate Care), Brooksville, Fla.

Not only do they take care of our patients, but they also take care of each other.

— Robert Linares, Unit leader

Category:

Surgical Services
Sky Ridge Medical Center

Dept. 701/Main OR, Lone Tree, Colo.

The daily staff huddle reveals that it takes a village, because no surgical patient can ever get the care they need by only being cared for by one person. This award honors their constant hard work and commitment to exceptional surgical care.

— Bridgit Davalt, Director, surgery, accepted on behalf of Unit leader William Bertram, unable to attend ceremony