ORANGE PARK – Nurses are on the front line to give voice and advocate for the needs of patients. Yesterday, Orange Park Medical Center recognized five nursing units who are raising the bar for the nursing profession at the fifth Annual HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction Award Ceremony. Three Orange Park Medical Center units earned the prestigious level of Unit of Distinction and two came in as honorable mention.

Launched in 2015, the HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction program celebrates departments that are defining nursing excellence. Kathy Hester, Orange Park Medical Center’s Chief Nursing Officer says the recipients are selected based on a number of different measures, including the quality of patient care, staff engagement, staff education, and patient satisfaction.

The Orange Park Medical Center team joined together yesterday to cheer each other on and watch as HCA Healthcare’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Hazen, Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive Jane Englebright, and Vice President and Assistant Chief Nurse Executive Sammie Mosier broadcasted the announcement live from their headquarters in Nashville, TN.

HCA Healthcare is made up of 185 hospitals and over 1,800 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and physician clinics located in 21 states and the United Kingdom. The Orange Park Medical Center’s nursing units recognized include:

Top 5%:

• Surgical Services – No. 3 out of over 180 units

• Behavioral Health – No. 5 out of over 140 units

• Medical-surgical (3 North) –No. 24 out of over 600 units

Top 10%:

• Intensive Care (MSICU) –No. 14 out of over 180 units

• Progressive Care –No. 18 out of over 350 units

“It’s a true honor to work alongside such dedicated and quality colleagues. They truly put our patient’s first in everything they do,” said Hester. “Seeing so many of our units recognized in the top 5 and 10 percent across the company makes me incredibly proud.”