A Pathway to Excellence at SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence Program recognizes a health care organization’s commitment to creating a positive practice environment that empowers and engages staff.

SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital first earned the distinction in 2020 and staff have spent more than a year working to earn re-designation.

In late June, team leaders gathered at the hospital to learn if that hard work would pay off. The video above shows the moments where they found out it was a success!

“It is bragging rights because it's not everybody who can do one, let alone two,” said an ANC representative. “It demonstrates that you've built this amazing culture where patients’ safety and patient family center of care are paramount and where nurses are empowered with a voice in addressing quality, safety, and ethical care, and use them in professional decision making.”

To earn the accreditation healthcare institutions must meet a series of the metrics and then a certain percentage of nurses must take a survey about the institution. That survey is vital and the results matter. Certain thresholds must be met to earn the Pathways Distinction. SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital exceeded those thresholds in both the number of nurses who took the survey and in the results.

“There wasn't just five or six people that worked on this. There was a team of probably close to people that helped make this successful,” said SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Johnna Smith. “…writing the document, spending well into 18 months going through that, and then the time and effort to prepare our teams to take the survey and really understand what we were, what we wrote to and the processes that, so I just, I'm blessed with an amazing group of leaders and staff here at St. Joe's and just very proud that we've been able to do this for the second time.”