VA Illiana achieves Pathway to Excellence designation

Sep. 21—DANVILLE — VA Illiana announced Tuesday that the health care system has achieved Pathway to Excellence designation status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Pathway to Excellence designation is an internationally recognized standard that demonstrates to veterans, community members, and peer health care organizations that VA Illiana champions the Pathway values of shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being, and professional development.

"I am beyond proud of the diligence, teamwork, and commitment that I've seen on display as we've worked as a nursing team toward attaining Pathway to Excellence designation," said Kelley Sermak, Associate Director, Patient Care Services at VA Illiana. "Over the last seven years, VA Illiana has been working toward the tremendous goal of Pathway designation with excellent Veteran care as our guiding light. Attaining Pathway designation will help us recruit and retain excellent nurses while continuing to build a culture of excellent patient care."

With this designation, VA Illiana joins a select group of just 11 other VA health care systems that have attained Pathway designation. VA Illiana also join a prestigious group of Pathway-designated non-VA health care organizations including Methodist Hospital (San Antonio, Texas), hospitals within IU Health and University of North Carolina Health, and even hospitals within the United Kingdom's world-renowned National Health Service (NHS).

VA Illiana will be honored at ANCC's 2023 Pathway to Excellence Conference, to be held in Chicago Oct. 12 through Oct. 14.