NEWS RELEASES

Legacy Salmon Creek ICU is the only hospital unit in Washington state to receive gold-level distinction; additional Legacy hospitals receive silver-level distinction.

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 24, 2026 — The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has recognized the Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center with a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence. As the only hospital unit in Washington to receive a gold-level distinction, this is a significant achievement given more than 575 units from around the country applied for the award in 2025.

The Beacon Award for Excellence is a national recognition and honors hospital units that demonstrate exceptional leadership, evidence based practice, high-quality patient outcomes, staff engagement and a supportive, healthy work environment.

“This recognition demonstrates how our medical-surgical ICU team is exceptional in creating a safe, caring and healing environment that both improves patient outcomes, while also positively impacting the community we serve,” said Tim Bock, vice president and chief nursing officer, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. “I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s commitment to providing the highest level of care for our patients, each other and the community.”

To earn the Beacon Award, units undergo a rigorous evaluation process that assesses performance across leadership, staffing, communication, patient outcomes and continuous learning. The award aligns with AACN’s Healthy Work Environment standards, emphasizing collaboration, respect and excellence in clinical practice.

For the 2026 award year, 16% of applicants received a gold Beacon Award, with 92 units recognized at the top level. The majority of units, 74%, received silver recognition. Bronze awards were received by 10% of the applying units. A full list of Beacon Award winners is located on the AACN website.

In addition to Legacy Salmon Creek’s recognition, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center was awarded silver-level distinction across three units, including its Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Neuro Trama Intensive Care units and the Oregon Burn Center. Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital also received silver-level distinction for its Kern Critical Care unit.