ARMC nurse honored with the 2026 National Circle of Excellence Award

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently honored Elizabeth Koelliker, RN, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Educator at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) in Colton, with its 2026 Circle of Excellence Award.

The Circle of Excellence Award is bestowed annually to 25 outstanding nurses nationwide for achieving excellent outcomes in the care of acutely and critically ill patients and their families. Colleagues nominate recipients for leading by example to improve patient outcomes and the work environment.

Koelliker recognized a gap in new-nurse onboarding and developed the innovative Nurse Orientation Composite Satisfaction Score (NOCSS), a data-driven framework designed to help new nurses gain clinical confidence as they transition to clinical practice. Results across clinical confidence, mentorship and patient care competency improved within 12 weeks.

“Elizabeth’s recognition speaks to the dedication and talent she brings to ARMC every day, and the commitment she has towards making sure every nurse has the tools and skills they need to provide high-quality care,” said ARMC Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Brown, MSN, RN, CCRN, NEA-BC, FACHE. “We couldn’t be prouder of her for representing ARMC as a Circle of Excellence Award recipient along with our other nurse leaders from the past two years, Opal Dy, MSN, RN, CCRN, CMC, CSC; Marissa Lozano, BSN, RN, and Zorina Hernandez, BSN, RN.”

The NOCSS framework’s success led to its system-wide adoption across all ARMC ICUs and to its acceptance as a poster abstract at an international conference. Koelliker also led an initiative to address electronic health record documentation fallouts by creating a simulation-based “playground” and training superusers, which reduced monthly fallouts.

“It is clear that her colleagues hold Beth in the highest esteem,” said AACN President Rebekah Marsh. “Since joining ARMC, she has advanced from a skilled bedside clinician to a transformative educator who demonstrates authentic leadership and fosters a healthy work environment through mentorship, clear communication and collaborative problem-solving.”

The criteria used to evaluate the Circle of Excellence Award candidates include the relentless promotion of patient-driven excellence; communication skills; true collaboration; effective decision making; meaningful recognition of others; the ability to transform thinking, structures, and processes; and the ability to address challenges and remove barriers to excellent patient care and achieve visible results through leadership.

AACN’s Circle of Excellence Awards align with the association’s mission of creating a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 55 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization with more than 134,000 members and more than 170 chapters in the United States.

About Arrowhead Regional Medical Center: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed tertiary care university-affiliated medical center licensed by the California Department of Public Health, operated by San Bernardino County, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care. The hospital, in Colton, California, is a hub for advanced medicine and medical education, including, but not limited to, the Edward G. Hirschman Regional Burn Center, the Dev A. GnanaDev Trauma Center, a comprehensive stroke center, an inpatient behavioral health center, neonatal intensive care unit, women’s health and maternal-fetal medicine, orthopedics, five primary care centers, and more. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. ARMC is helping to achieve the countywide vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs. ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The university welcomed its first class of students in 2018. For more information on CUSM, visit https://cusm.edu/. For more information about ARMC, visit https://www.arrowheadregional.org/.