IU Health Paoli Hospital continues its Pathway to Excellence

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence® designation highlights hospitals’ commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued. IU Health Paoli Hospital first received this recognition in 2017 and recently earned its third redesignation.

“It is an honor to be a Pathway to Excellence hospital,” says Michele Ridge, DNP, Morgan and Paoli chief nursing officer. “Nurses are the heart of a Pathway Designation, but the entire organization, is the circulatory system.”

She elaborates how this achievement is only possible through daily work that enables a practice environment focused on quality and interprofessional collaboration.

“This designation represents an organization that supports shared governance, the voice of the nurses in care that impacts patient care, safety, quality, self-care and professional development,” Ridge continues.

“Pathway to Excellence Designation is a testament to our ongoing commitment to making IU Health Paoli Hospital a great place to work and is a direct reflection of the amazing team we have,” says Whitney Zapien, RN, Paoli Obstetrics clinical manager and Pathway to Excellence Coordinator. “I am proud of our nursing team for the hard work they do every day.”

She explains how the designation gives Paoli a structure to have support systems in place for their teams, an environment to empower nurses to make a difference, and encourage interdisciplinary work to ensure they are providing the best, evidence-based care to patients.

“It is an honor to work with this fabulous group of nurses,” says Sara Hawkins, RN, Paoli Clinical Operations director. “They made the process fun as we ‘cruised to’ our third Pathway Designation.”

See photos from the team's celebration below and then share your kudos in the comment section.