
HCA Healthcare's Far West Division announced this week that all six of its hospitals including three in California - Riverside Community Hospital, Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose had nursing units recognized by HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction (UOD) Awards. Of the 19 honored, 13 were awarded across various categories.
The HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction (UOD) Awards is an annual program that recognizes and rewards exemplary nursing units at HCA Healthcare sites of care. The Unit of Distinction designation is achieved through measurable, exemplary performance in the strategic areas of advocacy and leadership, consistency in nursing practice and operations and leveraging scale to improve patient care.
“True innovation happens at the bedside and the Unit of Distinction program celebrates the best of HCA Healthcare. Today we recognize and celebrate exemplary nursing units who raise the standard of nursing excellence,” said Sammie Mosier, DHA, MA, BSN, NE-BC, senior vice president and chief nurse executive of HCA Healthcare. “Thanks to all of the nurses who work each day to lead the way, delivering excellent care to patients and support to our community of nurses.”
Summary of Awards Received by California's HCA Healthcare Hospitals
- At Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, two of its nursing units earned the 2024 HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction (UOD) Awards for their Inpatient Acute Rehabilitation Unit and MedSurg General.
- At Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, one of its nursing units earned the 2024 HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction (UOD) Awards for Acute Rehab. One additional unit received honorable mentions.
- At Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, one of its nursing units earned the 2024 HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction (UOD) Awards for MedSurg General.
Launched in 2015, the Unit of Distinction Awards are an essential component of HCA Healthcare's strategic nursing plan. HCA Healthcare supports and invests in nursing with leading-edge technologies and increased access to clinical education and professional development opportunities to help make HCA Healthcare a premier career destination for nurses.
“It is hard to have one hospital earn a mention as a unit of distinction, but to have every hospital receive an honor is a huge accomplishment,” said Far West Division President, Jackie Van Blaricum. “The fact that 19 units across all six of our hospitals were recognized is a testament to the dedication and exceptional patient care we provide every day. This demonstrates that our nursing teams are providing the right care, at the right time, for the right reasons and I couldn't be prouder of our Far West Team.”
In a ceremony broadcast from HCA Healthcare's headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 a total of 197 nursing units were recognized as top-performing nursing units. Units of Distinction are categorized in the top five percent of all HCA Healthcare medical surgical, critical care, emergency services, surgical services, behavioral health, women's and children's nursing units, pediatrics/PICU and inpatient rehabilitation units. The top six to ten percent of all HCA Healthcare units earned honorable mention designations.