McLeod Health Loris and McLeod Health Seacoast are pleased to announce the attainment of Pathway to Excellence® designation for nursing excellence, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This prestigious designation places McLeod Health Loris and McLeod Health Seacoast among only 237 healthcare organizations worldwide. 

Pathway to Excellence recognition is one of the most esteemed credentials a healthcare organization can achieve for nursing excellence and patient care. It signifies an unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality of care, a culture of sustained excellence, and exceptional patient outcomes.

ANCC Pathway to Excellence designates healthcare organizations who are committed to a culture of sustained excellence with a positive practice environment. This recognition is only awarded to those organizations who successfully demonstrate years of successful adoption of these practices into their shared governance structure, where nurses are involved with decision-making while being offered the opportunities for professional development and work/life balance.

As a Pathway-designated organization, our nurses embody the Pathway Standards through the work they do each and every day:

1. Shared decision-making: The organization has an established shared governance structure as the foundation for involving direct care nurses in decision-making.

2. Leadership: Leadership fosters the foundation of collaboration among staff and supports a shared governance environment.

3. Safety: The organization protects the safety and well-being of nurses, staff, and patients through safety policies and processes.

4. Quality: Organization-wide quality initiatives are evidence-based, focused on improving patient outcomes, developed through interprofessional collaboration, and implemented based on internal and external benchmarking. 

5. Wellbeing: Staff have the opportunity to develop a balance between work and personal life. Achievements for community service, patient advocacy, and contributions to improving population health are encouraged, supported, and recognized by the organization. 

6. Professional development: The organization recognizes the importance of staff orientation, collaboration, and professional development in the delivery of safe and effective patient care. 

This is the first time each facility has received this designation. Congratulations to the teams at McLeod Health Loris and McLeod Health Seacoast.