Press Release May 12, 2010

The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium Announces Creation of Heart Failure Nurse Recognition Award

Columbus, Ohio (May 12, 2010) – Heart Failure affects eight million Americans and their families. It is a complex illness that demands technical proficiency of nurse caregivers. Individuals afflicted by heart failure repeatedly stress that it was the compassion of the heart failure nurse that helped them through their most difficult times. In recognition of this highly skilled group of nursing professionals, The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today the creation of The Heart Failure Nurse Recognition Award on the 190th birthday of Florence Nightingale.

“Day after day thousands of heart failure nurses attend to the needs of the millions of Americans with heart failure largely without recognition,” said Dr. Tony Joseph, president of the Colloquium. “As a chronic and progressive disease, caring for those with heart failure extracts an emotional toll on the nurses. This award recognizes the competency and skills of heart failure nurses by affirming their important role on the lives of those with heart failure.”

The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium is a hospital membership organization that includes the entire heart failure continuum of care within four domains: Community, Hospital, Clinician, and Science. Heart failure nurses work daily with those afflicted to create a better quality of life and quantity of life knowing that the disease is chronic, progressive, and fatal. “It is within the Clinician Domain that we wondered, ‘How do we care for the clinical caregivers?’ said Dr. Joseph.

The Colloquium plans to recognize a new heart failure nurse each month – and include the announcement on its website (www.thacinc.com). The first Heart Failure Nurse Recognition Award will be presented at the annual meeting of heart failure nurses in Orlando, Florida on June 25.

Susan Reed, chairperson of the Heart Failure Nurse Recognition Committee, said that “Caring for patients with heart failure and their families can be a challenging task. That is why recognition of these dedicated, compassionate professionals is so important.”

Hospitals wishing to nominate a heart failure nurse for recognition may contact Susan Reed, RN, BSN, at susan.reed@thechristhospital.com or by calling (513) 585-2685.

Colloquium Heart Failure Maven Award Nomination Form - Word Document
Colloquium Heart Failure Maven Award Nomination Form - PDF Document

For more information on The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium, visit: www.thacinc.com.