Huntington Memorial Hospital announced today it has been granted Magnet
® recognition for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Only six percent of the nation's hospitals have earned this prestigious designation which recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate sustained excellence in nursing.
"Earning Magnet recognition is a testament to the extraordinary nursing care available at Huntington Hospital,” said Bonnie Kass, vice president and chief nursing executive. "This is the highest honor a U.S. hospital can receive for its nursing program and our nurses have worked tirelessly to achieve this accomplishment.”
Stephen A. Ralph, Huntington Hospital president and CEO adds, “It is our patients and community who will benefit most from Huntington receiving Magnet status. The designation signifies a superior level of care – that must be earned and maintained vigilantly.”
Huntington Hospital is the first hospital in the San Gabriel Valley to achieve the Magnet designation, and one of only three in Los Angeles to be honored by Magnet Recognition Program®.
The ANCC honors organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards and best practices. A hospital that has been recognized by the Magnet Recognition Program® is one that has met the specific standards set forth by ANCC. These standards define the highest quality of nursing practice and patient care. The standards must be demonstrated in an extensive written document that is divided into four volumes and can reach a length of up to 3,000 pages. A site visit takes place after the documents are reviewed so examiners may clarify, amplify and verify the document through extensive onsite interviews and unit tours.
Huntington Hospital was notified of The ANCC’s decision on March 21, approximately three months after the ANCC site visit. The news was delivered to Lulu Rosales, RN, MSN, director of professional practice/Magnet project, who was recruited by Huntington specifically to lead the cause, and Bonnie Kass, in an auditorium full of anxious Huntington Hospital employees. “I was thrilled to learn we were bestowed the Magnet designation,” said Rosales. “So many Huntington Hospital employees supported our nurses and played an important part in realizing this honor.”
Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that achieve Magnet status and to the communities they serve including consumer confidence, recruitment and retention and maintaining positive patient outcomes. The designation is granted for four years, during which time the ANCC monitors facilities to ensure high standards of care remain intact.
About the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®
The
Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world
, recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program
® serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program
® and current statistics, visit
www.NurseCredentialing.org/Magnet