By LOIS KINDLE
HCA Florida South Shore Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit is among the top 10 such units in all 183 HCA Healthcare hospitals across the nation.
The HCA Healthcare announcement came at its recent annual Unit of Distinction Program awards ceremony. Of the 26 HCA critical care teams actually considered for the top 10 ranking, South Shore Hospital was named 7th.
“I congratulate our team and thank them for their commitment to our patients, one another and this community,” said HCA Florida South Shore Hospital CEO Sheldon Barr. “It speaks volumes about the care you can expect to receive at our hospital.
Barr was pleased with the ICU unit national recognition.
“This award shows how much our team cares, she added. “I’m proud of them and the direction our hospital is headed.”
Chief Nursing Officer Missy Steffen was equally delighted. “Words cannot express how proud I am of this team,” she said. “I have watched them struggle, persevere, come together as a family, step up to the plate, show up and build up one another,” she wrote. “Their love for each other and their patients has been the cornerstone of their success. Way to go, South Shore ICU. Proud mama here.”
Felicia Johnson, HCA Florida South Shore Hospital ICU nurse, prepares to take a critical care patient’s vitals.
The South Shore Hospital ICU was recognized for its measurable, exemplary performance in the areas of advocacy and leadership, consistency in nursing practice and operations; and promoting excellence to drive safe patient care. This includes key indicators, such as employee engagement, patient experience, nursing retention, documentation and more.
The Unit of Distinction award was developed to drive excellence in nursing care, said Stephanie Geer, RN, director of the South Shore Hospital ICU unit.
“This national recognition puts our hospital on the map,” she said. “It shows our team and [its] hard work stand out nationally, our nurses constantly strive for excellence, and we ensure our patients are safe, comfortable and secure. “It’s a huge milestone for us to have demonstrated how we are elevating our standard of care to be the area’s provider of choice.”
The HCA Florida South Shore Hospital ICU team is comprised of a nursing staff with a wide range of experience, including nurses with three weeks of experience up to 21 years.
“They already have their sights on being No. 1 next year,” Geer said.
Founded in 1982, South Shore Hospital is committed to providing exceptional health care and services to residents of Hillsborough and Manatee counties. It has earned four consecutive Top Workplace in Tampa Bay honors from the Tampa Bay Times.
ALISSA KOSTYK PHOTOS
The HCA Florida South Shore Hospital ICU nursing team was recently recognized nationally. In the back row, from left, are Dawn Ogrodzinski; Stephanie Geer, director; Tammy Barthel; and Valerie Primeau. In the front row are Arisleyda Rosa; Corinna Good; Lisa Eldridge; Moniq Taft; Marylou Tiongson; and Lauren Escamilla, nurse manager. Missing is Felicia Johnson.