After nearly three years of intensive efforts, culminating in an application process with a post-application survey, Madison Memorial has been awarded one of the most prestigious, hard-to-earn, coveted credentials in the healthcare industry: the Pathway to Excellence designation.

On Monday, April 18, during a noteworthy phone call between Madison Memorial staff members and Dr. Nora Warshawsky, Pathway Commissioner for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Madison team was officially notified of our attainment of this long-sought goal. We are now the first (and only) Pathway-to-Excellence certified organization in the state of Idaho.

The Pathway designation is a global credential, highlighting an organization’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses are empowered and valued. Madison Memorial’s nurses constitute an integral part of our team, wielding a powerful voice both in our policies and practices. Pathway nurses, including ours, are fully engaged, which yields higher job engagement, reduced turnover rates, improved safety, and better patient outcomes.

According to Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Kevin McEwan, “This designation would not have come to pass without the individual contributions offered every day at Madison Memorial. We thank our nurses for making our organization the great place it is, and for cultivating efforts to continually improve our patients’ experience and quality of care.”

Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rachel Gonzales posited, “What does this mean for Madison Memorial’s health system?” In answer, she said, “Our nurses embody the Pathway standards in shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, wellbeing, and professional development. I personally see this as a testament to our team, as to how fortunate we are to have them, and for their achieving this designation despite such critical times of healing in healthcare.”

“Speaking on behalf of our physicians,” added Dr. Clay Prince, Chief Medical Officer, “we appreciate our nurses and how they wear themselves out on behalf of our patients. We thank them for their professionalism and for exhibiting compassion, always.”

Representatives from Madison Memorial will be in Philadelphia in October to receive our official recognition plaque at the upcoming ANCC National Conference.

For more information on the Pathway to Excellence recognition program, visit ANCC’s website at https://www.nursingworld.org/pathway.