Where Excellence Feels Like Home

ChristianaCare Union Hospital is first in Maryland to earn Pathway to Excellence® Designation With Distinction

September 30, 2026

“I knew in my heart of hearts that we would reach this distinction,” said Chief Nursing Officer Chris Lenz, MSN, RN, CMNL. “Be excited! Be proud!”

Nurses and caregivers from throughout Union Hospital gathered to celebrate a milestone achievement – being the first in Maryland to earn the Pathway to Excellence® designation with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This global recognition honors healthcare organizations where nurses deliver outstanding care built on an exceptional work culture.

Champions of nursing excellence at Union Hospital.

This is Union Hospital’s third Pathway to Excellence designation: The hospital was the first in Maryland to receive the Pathway designation in 2013 and the only to achieve three designations. Union is one of 316 healthcare organizations worldwide with a Pathway designation and one of only 27 to earn the designation with distinction. Organizations that achieve Pathway with Distinction exceed the program’s standard requirements in the application review and staff survey.

“This designation reflects the best of our nurses and all our caregivers at Union Hospital,” said Jenn Schwartz, ChristianaCare president and CEO. “I am incredibly proud of this amazing team of caregivers. In serving together, they are champions of nursing excellence who deliver high-quality care and positive outcomes for our neighbors in Cecil County.”

What It Means To Be Pathway

The designation recognizes organizations that excel in six key areas called “standards”: shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being and professional development. These standards support a positive practice environment where nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team with a voice in shaping policy and practice.

The ANCC distinguishes Pathway organizations as leaders in enhancing the quality of care, patient and nursing safety and the future of healthcare delivery. ANCC research shows that nurses at Pathway organizations are engaged, resulting in higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, improved safety and better patient outcomes. Those that achieve Pathway with Distinction surpass the program’s benchmarks.

“This is a recognition of the work we do every single day,” said Pathway to Excellence Program Director Sarah Davis, MSN, RN.

“The elite designation of Pathway to Excellence with Distinction is earned by meeting higher-level validation survey thresholds, underscoring exemplary leadership and a steadfast commitment to supporting your team,” said Christine Pabico, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FAAN, FFNMRCSI, senior director of Pathway to Excellence and Well-Being Excellence at ANCC.

Among the key achievements the ANCC highlighted in Union Hospital’s designation are:

a data-driven falls reduction program, developed with direct care nurse input, that resulted in a significant decrease in patient falls.
comprehensive caregiver support programs and wellness initiatives, helping address stress and compassion fatigue.
professional development initiatives encouraging nurses to pursue certification, leadership development and scholarly work, including publication of best-practice projects.

“This is a recognition of the work we do every single day,” said Sarah Davis, MSN, RN, CEN, Union Hospital nursing coordinator and Pathway to Excellence program director. “As we prepared our application and gathered evidence for the standards, we had confidence because we were already practicing and advancing nursing at Union Hospital in the ways Pathway calls for.”

Celebrating Pathway: “Every caregiver played a role in creating the culture that earned this recognition,” said Campus Chief Nursing Officer Chris Lenz. From left: Campus President Joan Pirrung, Campus Chief Medical Officer Arsalan Sheikh, D.O., MBA, Pathway leads Sarah Davis, Renee Dortch and Hillary Rhoades with Lenz.

“Union Hospital’s caregivers lead with compassion, embrace innovation, support one another and never lose sight of our mission to serve our neighbors with love and excellence,” said Joan Pirrung, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, president of Cecil County Campus.

Union Hospital is a 99-bed acute care facility and is part of ChristianaCare, one of the nation’s leading health systems, serving the residents of Cecil County and the surrounding region with a focus on high-quality, compassionate care.

Union Hospital’s recent recognitions also include earning an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group; the 2026 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award; and a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Throughout the process, I had the opportunity to collaborate with nurses, leaders, educators and other departments across the organization,” said Emilee Roberts, BSN, RN III, CEN, FNE-A/P, who wrote the Leadership Standard. “It reinforced how interconnected we all are and how much can be accomplished when people work toward a shared goal.”

The Journey to Pathway

“What does Pathway mean? It means community,” Davis said at the celebration.

With the theme “Where Excellence Feels Like Home,” a dedicated group of 10 nurses wrote the standards with more than 100 examples of how Union Hospital met the six Pathway standards.

“We were super excited,” said Heather Barlow, BSN, RN, CRSMN, who cowrote the Wellbeing Standard. “It’s easy to be in our clinical bubble but were very passionate about highlighting what we do here.”

Union Hospital caregivers celebrated their Pathway designation with a “Taco-Bout Excellence” reception with time to congratulate one another, hear from leaders and reflect over a taco-forward meal.

For Renee Dortch, MSN, RN-BC, nurse manager and Pathway lead, the journey to designation was a validating experience: “It did my heart good to learn all we do at Union Hospital.”

Dortch and her colleagues created a Pathway culture among caregivers throughout Union Hospital that started with a “What’s Your Why” campaign and featured fun events – including a fall festival, coffee carts and even an original holiday song dubbed “The Seven Days of Pathway” – that doubled as learning opportunities. The measures of success? 90% of Union Hospital caregivers completed the Pathway survey exceeding the 60% required. Results of the survey – which assesses work environment, culture and engagement – surpassed the favorable response rate required for Pathway.

Hillary Rhoades, BSN, RN, CCRN, who cowrote the Professional Development Standard, shared that the Pathway journey brings her back to the reason she became a nurse. “What’s my why? It’s being there for others when they need it most.”

The Pathway designation is an important milestone, but it is also a foundation for the future. Said Lenz: “The Pathway framework will continue to guide efforts to strengthen caregiver engagement, support professional development and enhance the patient experience.”