RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Heart and Vascular Unit at Rapid City Hospital has once again earned national recognition for nursing excellence, marking a continued milestone for health care in the Black Hills and South Dakota.
For the second consecutive year, the unit at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. More than 575 hospital units nationwide applied for the award in 2025.
The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes hospital units that demonstrate sustained improvements in patient outcomes and create positive, healthy work environments for nursing staff. Units earning gold, silver or bronze designations must meet criteria aligned with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards.
“Earning the Beacon Award for Excellence for the second consecutive year underscores our nursing team in the Heart and Vascular Unit’s sustained commitment to clinical excellence and quality patient care,” said Tasha Frisinger, vice president of nursing for Monument Health. “Our nurses have demonstrated remarkable consistency in delivering evidence-based practices that improve patient outcomes. I am proud of our team’s continued achievement.”
AACN President Rebekah Marsh also recognized the Rapid City caregivers for meeting and exceeding the organization’s national standards.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes,” Marsh said. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”
The Beacon Award, established in 2003, serves as a framework for hospital units to measure performance and continuously improve. Award recipients must demonstrate strong results in three primary areas: patient outcomes, nursing workforce and work environment. Scoring differences between levels can be minimal, sometimes separated by a single point.
According to AACN, eligible units include those in the United States and Canada where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission. The organization has more than 130,000 members and over 200 chapters nationwide.
For Rapid City and the broader Black Hills region, the repeat recognition highlights the continued focus on high-quality cardiac care and professional nursing standards within South Dakota’s largest hospital system.
