Methodist Fremont Health Wins 2026 ANCC Pathway Award® Sponsored by Qualtrics and Press Ganey
Nebraska hospital honored for developing Dementia Care Connect, linking hospital and community to improve outcomes across dementia care
CHICAGO, IL – October 29, 2026 – The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) announced today that Methodist Fremont Health is the recipient of the 2026 ANCC Pathway Award®. The award, sponsored by Qualtrics and Press Ganey, was presented at the 2026 Magnet & Pathway Conference® in Chicago. It recognizes an ANCC Pathway to Excellence® organization for its advancements in a program that promotes innovation and exemplifies the Pathway to Excellence standards while promoting a positive practice environment.
Methodist Fremont Health will receive $100,000 to scale its winning project, Dementia Care Connect, a nurse-led program designed to improve care coordination for individuals living with dementia and the caregivers who support them. The initiative will address fragmented dementia care, individualized care plans, caregiver education, and community-based services to help people living with dementia remain safely in their homes while reducing avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Key innovations include a High-Risk Dementia Registry within the electronic medical record, nurse-led care coordination, remote monitoring, and dementia-friendly emergency department pathways.
“Our team of nurses at Methodist Fremont Health didn’t stand idly by when they realized the impact of fragmented care had on the dementia patients in our community,” said Bill Vobejda, president and CEO, Methodist Fremont Health. “This award is more than a recognition – it’s empowering coordinated, compassionate support that helps individuals living with dementia stay safe at home for as long as possible – while giving caregivers the education, resources, and backup they need. By bringing nurses, clinicians, and community partners together around a shared plan of care, this award will allow us to reduce preventable crises and improve quality of life for families throughout Fremont and the surrounding region.
“Congratulations to the Methodist Fremont Health team on receiving the 2026 ANCC Pathway Award,” said Jeff Doucette, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN, Chief Clinical Officer, Qualtrics. “This nurse-led, community-integrated approach shows a strong commitment to improving care for individuals living with dementia and supporting the caregivers who stand beside them. Methodist Fremont Health is helping set a new standard for compassionate, proactive dementia care. The team at Qualtrics is excited to see the impact this work can have on patient outcomes, caregiver resilience, and the broader healthcare community.”
“Dementia Care Connect reflects the kind of nurse-led innovation that strengthens care delivery while advancing a healthier future for patients and families,” said Brad Goettl, DNP, DHA, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer of the American Nurses Enterprise. “By proactively identifying risk, coordinating care across the healthcare continuum, and supporting caregivers with practical tools and community partnerships, Methodist Fremont Health is building a model that can reduce avoidable hospital utilization and help more people living with dementia remain safely at home.”
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American Nurses Credentialing Center
The American Nurses Credentialing Center works with the nation’s largest group of healthcare professionals to uphold the highest standards of nursing excellence. With a comprehensive suite of individual certifications and organizational accreditation programs designed to foster research, innovation, career growth, and leadership development, the credentialing center equips nurses to achieve safer, patient-centric outcomes both nationally and internationally. Committed to harnessing The Power of Nurses® to elevate care standards worldwide, the credentialing center continuously sets the benchmarks that support excellence in every facet of nursing practice.