MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital (MHLH) celebrated its recent Pathway to Excellence Designation with a flag-raising ceremony Oct. 20 on the Miles Campus. The achievement came after 18 months of dedicated and diligent effort to meet the criteria established by the American Nursing Credentialing Center. 

According to the ANCC, the Pathway to Excellence Program® is the premier designation for healthy work environments. It recognizes health care organizations that show a commitment to establishing the foundation of a healthy workplace. 

Six essential standards make up the framework for developing a positive practice environment for nurses – shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, staff well-being and professional development.  

“This designation affirms what I already knew about our nursing team and our care environment,” said Cindy Wade, RN MHA, president of MHLH. “MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital is a wonderful place for nurses to work, and this designation will give us an edge in attracting and retaining nurses.” 

Pathway standards affect a range of factors that influence bottom-line results, like employee turnover, job satisfaction/engagement, productivity, teamwork, nursing-sensitive quality indicators, errors and safety events, and patient satisfaction. 

The MHLH team’s scores far exceeded ANCC’s benchmark in each of the six standards. 

Regional Chief Nursing Officer, Christine Anderson, RN MSN, NE-BC, said she witnessed firsthand the energy and effort of her team as it tackled the many tasks associated with the accreditation. 

“I am so proud of our leaders and all members of our team,” Anderson said. “While it is a nursing accreditation, Pathway designation also speaks highly of the relationships between our health care providers across MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital. This is our first time earning this designation, and we look forward to keeping this distinction for years to come.” 

MHLH Pathway accreditation lasts for four years, at which time the hospital must re-apply and show proof of meeting the rigorous standards. The award was presented at the ANCC’s recognition ceremony in Atlanta last week.