Mobile, Ala. – The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently conferred its highest honor, a Gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence, on the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Mobile Infirmary. Mobile Infirmary’s Medical ICU is currently Alabama’s only adult intensive care unit to hold this designation.

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 patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards.

“The Medical Intensive Care Unit at Mobile Infirmary is delighted to receive national recognition for its exceptional care to our patients and their families,” stated Susan Boudreau, FACHE, President of Mobile Infirmary. “This award is proof of our unyielding dedication to providing the highest quality of care.”

The Mobile Infirmary critical care program diagnoses and treats all types of disorders and diseases in their most severe form. The Medical ICU, Surgical ICU, and Neuro ICU are staffed with highly specialized critical care physician intensivists who provide round-the-clock care to our critically ill patients.

Recipients of the Gold-level award have shown outstanding performance in unit management and patient outcomes that surpass national benchmarks, as per the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). The Beacon Award for Excellence was established in 2003 to provide a framework for delivering exceptional care, resulting in better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction. Nursing units in North America that provide care to patients after their hospital admission are eligible for this award.