Today NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler announced it received the
Beacon Award for Excellence, making it the first post-acute care facility in the nation to receive the
prestigious nursing award.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
(AACN) recognized the Memory Care units at Coler with a silver-level Beacon
Award for their work in long-term care with residents living with dementia
and Alzheimer’s. The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone
on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments —
recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align
practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that
achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze
designation meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet
Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the
National Quality Healthcare Award.
“We are overwhelmed with pride for the incredible work and passion of our
Memory Care units at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler,” said NYC Health +
Hospitals Senior Vice President for Post-Acute Care Khoi Luong, DO. “As the
first, and only, long-term care recipient of this distinction in the nation,
Coler has truly set the standard of nursing excellence in Memory Care.
Congratulations on this outstanding accomplishment!”
“Congratulations to Coler’s person-centered Memory Care Teams which are
comprised of stellar clinical and support staff dedicated to providing
extraordinary care to our residents with cognitive impairments,” said NYC
Health + Hospitals/Coler Chief Executive Officer Stephen Catullo, LNHA, MBA.
“The award-winning Memory Care units are a testament as to why our
residents’ chose the tagline, Coler is the place to be!”
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The Memory Care unit team provides person-centered comfort care
and interactive group activities to ensure meaningful engagement
with Coler residents.
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“I am extremely pleased and proud to recognize the NYC Health +
Hospitals/Coler Memory Care Units for becoming the first and only post-acute
care facility in the entire nation to earn the silver-level Beacon Award for
Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN),”
said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive
Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Our Coler post-acute care facility
has been providing exceptional care to New Yorkers for more than 60 years at
its Roosevelt Island location, and its Memory Care Units offer tender and
compassionate care to residents living with dementia. As the first
post-acute facility in the country to receive this prestigious recognition,
Coler’s Memory Care Unit definitely is setting the standard for nursing
excellence. We celebrate and applaud our nurses’ momentous achievements.”
“We are excited for this prestigious honor, but the greatest satisfaction is
our life-changing impact to the lives of 150 residents with dementia who
have been impacted by social determinants of health like poverty and
homelessness as well as pre-existing mental illness and behavior disorders,”
said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Memory Care Director Deepa Vinoo, RN. “Our
units serve as the safety net for those who otherwise would lack access to
high-quality person-centered dementia care.”
“Congratulations to the compassionate nurses and staff of Coler’s
award-winning Memory Care units, who devote their careers to improve the
quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” said NYC
Health + Hospitals Board Member Jackie Rowe-Adams. “Our public long-term
care facilities continue to raise the standard and truly embody excellence
in every way!”
“Congratulations to the Coler Memory Care Unit on winning this well-deserved
reward. Coler is integral to the NYC Health + Hospitals system and a
lifeline for New Yorkers with cognitive impairments,” said Manhattan Borough
President Mark Levine. “Coler’s work is unparalleled, and I’m thrilled that
the staff is receiving this distinguished recognition.”
“Kudos to the extraordinary Memory Care team at Coler whose compassionate
and efficient care has been recognized with a Beacon Award for Excellence,”
said New York State Senator Liz Krueger. “May the supportive and caring
hands of this distinguished team continue to benefit the residents of
Coler.”
“I commend NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler CEO Stephen Catullo and the staff of
the Memory Care Unit on the occasion of receiving the Beacon Award for
Excellence, the first in the nation to receive this recognition,” said New
York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright. “The care and dedication by
the team at Coler for residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s are
shining leaders in the H+H system and the field of memory care.”...
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Memory Care Nurses provide daily wellness check-ins with Coler
residents to ensure they feel safe, comfortable and have
everything they need for a productive day.
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... “As part of Coler’s Memory Care Unit, I am filled with pride for this
prestigious honor and recognition from the American Association of
Critical-Care Nurses,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Memory Care Nurse
Rosilimol Clement, RN. “With every restorative care intervention performed,
we provide maximum comfort and improved quality of life for our residents.
Many older adults spend their final days among the loving arms of nursing
staff of all colors and cultures, with all levels of knowledge. We are
experienced with the tricks of the trade necessary to optimize their quality
of life.”
The award-winning Memory Care Unit is home to long-time resident and poet,
Zahra Dhakkar. Though not a writer originally, Zahra started writing to
record her thoughts and help with her memory issues. With her art to guide
and inspire her, and the staff to support her, Zahra increased her
confidence and independence. Now, she can spend her days outside, wandering
through the gardens or watching the East River flow by while she writes.
“At NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler, my poetry is inspired by the simple things
I do and interactions I have throughout the day. I gradually build it up to
things I see outside and anything else that captures my imagination,” said
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Resident Zahra Dhakkar. “I’m stimulated by the
variety of activities that we have here. I am drawn in to something, and
inspiration takes flight by itself.”
“The Memory Care units offer the most challenges, and the staff are to be
commended for their knowledge, compassion & kindness to all residents,”
said President of the NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Auxiliary Judith Berdy.
“The award is not just for the units but for all the Coler staff who work
together to make the lives of all our residents better.”....
... Recently, Coler received the American Association of Critical Care
Nursing’s Beacon Award for Excellence in recognition of the high-quality
dementia care provided in its MCU, becoming the first U.S. post-acute care
recipient. Coler’s MCU team remains committed to advancing health equity in
dementia care for an aging minority population in need of palliative services.
To them, the true test of leadership is identifying new challenges, finding
solutions, and inspiring others — for advancing health equity requires a
deep-seated commitment to providing the highest-quality care.
The journey began two decades ago when the dementia care model was
aggressive medical treatment, involving a hospital transfer at the
resident’s end of life. For Coler, the key initial step involved
transforming dementia care from a predominantly medical model to a
palliative one, which required changing the culture of care. The first
target was tube-feeding in advanced dementia, which had been commonplace at
Coler at the time. By contrast, emerging evidence-based medical literature
was advocating maintenance of oral feeding as the more humane alternative (J
Am Geriatr Soc 2014;62:1590–1593). Coler’s frontline MCU interdisciplinary
team (IDT) took on the challenge, and they persuaded families to try this
evidenced-based approach. As a result, within a relatively short interval
they significantly reduced tube-feeding among their residents with advanced
dementia.
Coler’s efforts continue today, and currently no MCU residents are receiving
tube-feeding. A key lesson learned from this experience was how to embolden
team spirit and build off an initial success in implementing evidenced-based
care. Kindness
Since 2008, kindness has been the key ingredient in the MCU team’s recipe
for success, enabling the MCU’s residents to find their “comfort zone” and
to express themselves in more meaningful ways. Kindness is also the key that
enables the MCU IDT to gain the respect and trust of families.
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