Geisinger Community Medical Center Units Earn Beacon Awards
News Release
July 9, 2025
CONTACT: Matt Mattei
570-881-0817
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Geisinger Community Medical Center units earn Beacon Awards
Critical-care teams recognized for excellence in care
SCRANTON, Pa. – The intensive care unit (ICU) and progressive care unit (PCU) at Geisinger Community Medical Center have again earned Beacon Awards for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The ICU received silver-level recognition from the AACN, and the PCU received bronze-level recognition.
The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with the AACN’s 6 Healthy Work Environment Standards.
The 18-bed ICU provides critical care for the hospital’s most ill and injured patients, and the 18- bed PCU cares for a unique population of adult patients who require either step-down or intensive care.
“These awards are a testament to the strength and devotion of our bedside teams,” said Megan Walbeck, associate vice president of nursing at Geisinger Community Medical Center. “The leadership our bedside nurses bring to their units as they collaborate to care for some of our most complex patient conditions speaks to their expertise and their compassion for others.”
Through participation in the Beacon Award program, Geisinger’s critical-care units have been able to compare their performances to those of global applicants. Award-winning units demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of patient outcomes, nursing workforce and work environment.
This is the latest recognition among critical-care units in Geisinger’s northeast region. Currently, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center’s ICU holds a silver-level Beacon Award designation, and its PCU holds a gold-level designation.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans.
Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state’s economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
