HCA Florida West Hospital unit recognized for nursing excellence.

HCA Florida West Hospital today announced that its intensive care Open Heart Unit has earned the 2023 HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction Award, an annual program that recognizes and rewards exemplary nursing units at HCA Healthcare sites of care. This marks the second year in a row that HCA Florida West Hospital’s ICU Open Heart Unit has earned this designation. The Unit of Distinction designation is achieved through measurable, exemplary performance in the strategic areas of advocacy and leadership, consistency in nursing practice and operations and leveraging scale to improve patient care. 

“We look forward to celebrating our outstanding nursing units every year through our Unit of Distinction Awards,” said Sammie Mosier, DHA, MA, BSN, NE-BC, senior vice president and chief nurse executive of HCA Healthcare. “HCA Healthcare would not be what it is without the inspiring dedication of our nurses. I want to congratulate all of this year’s winners who truly raise our standard of nursing excellence every day.” 

Launched in 2015, the Unit of Distinction Awards are an essential component of HCA Healthcare’s strategic nursing plan. With more than 2,400 sites of care, HCA Healthcare’s more than 99,000 nurses have abundant opportunity to choose work across a wide spectrum of clinical and non-clinical settings. HCA Healthcare supports and invests in nursing with leading-edge technologies and increased access to clinical education and professional development opportunities to help make HCA Healthcare a premier career destination for nurses. 

“This recognition is the reflection of our dedicated colleagues and the compassionate care they provide to our patients,” said Joe Sabat, Director, Clinical Care and Pediatrics, HCA Florida West Hospital. “Quality and patient safety is at the heart of everything we do and we take pride in both our colleagues and our culture, this helps ensure continuity of care and the unique needs of our patients.” 

In 2022, HCA West Florida Units that received Unit of Distinction Awards included ICU, CCU, Pediatrics, 5 North Nursing Unit and Perdido Bay Emergency. In 2021, Unit of Distinction Awards were earned by HCA Florida West Hospital’s PICU Unit and CCU.

In a ceremony broadcast from HCA Healthcare’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 16, a total of 199 nursing units were recognized as top-performing nursing units. Units of Distinction are categorized in the top five percent of all HCA Healthcare medical surgical, critical care, emergency services, surgical services, behavioral health, women’s and children’s nursing units, pediatrics/PICU and inpatient rehabilitation units. The top six to 10 percent of all HCA Healthcare units earned honorable mention designations.