General News
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has awarded the Critical Care Unit at Betsy Johnson Hospital with a Silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence, recognizing the unit’s commitment to exceptional patient care and a positive work environment.
Betsy Johnson Hospital is part of Harnett Healthcare and the Cape Fear Valley Health system. This marks the first Beacon Award for Excellence earned by the health system, representing a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to strengthen quality and patient-centered care.
More than 575 units nationwide applied for the Beacon Award in 2025. Units that earn gold, silver or bronze designations meet rigorous criteria aligned with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards, which promote collaboration, professional growth and strong patient outcomes.
The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes unit caregivers who demonstrate consistent, evidence-based practices and measurable improvements in patient care. Award recipients are evaluated in the areas of patient outcomes, nursing workforce and work environment.
Although the team initially anticipated earning a bronze designation, the unit’s performance exceeded expectations and was ultimately recognized at the silver level.
“In a rural setting where specialty expertise isn’t always at arm’s reach, our team rises to the challenge every day,” said Megan Baker, Supervisor/Educator at Besty Johnson Hospital. “The Silver Beacon Award honors our determination to deliver outstanding care and our promise to keep high-quality critical care close to home for the patients who depend on us. Betsy Johnson truly is a hidden gem within the Cape Fear Valley system — where we not only care deeply for our community, but for the staff who devote themselves to serving it. I am profoundly grateful to our incredible team for their hard work and compassion, and to the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation for their support. This recognition reflects both our passion for exceptional patient care and our commitment to supporting the people who make that care possible.”
AACN President Rebekah Marsh, BSN, RN, CCRN, applauded the dedication of the Betsy Johnson caregivers for meeting and exceeding the organization’s high standards.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes,” Marsh said. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”
Beacon-awarded units distinguish themselves by demonstrating strong leadership, effective communication and a supportive professional environment. Through the program, participating units can evaluate their performance against national and international benchmarks, often with scoring differences of one point or less between levels.
Beyond patient care, the Silver Beacon designation also serves as a powerful recruitment and retention tool. Many nurses seek employment in Beacon-recognized units because the award reflects a healthy work culture, strong teamwork and high-quality clinical outcomes.
For Betsy Johnson Hospital, Harnett Healthcare and the Cape Fear Valley Health system, the award reflects a continued commitment to investing in people, improving outcomes and delivering exceptional care close to home.
About the Beacon Award for Excellence: Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. and Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call 800-899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and over 200 chapters in the United States.
