White Plains, NY (April 20, 2012) - White Plains Hospital announced yesterday that it has achieved Magnet® recognition as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork, and superiority in patient care. Magnet recognition is determined by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, which ensures that rigorous standards for nursing excellence are met. With this credential, White Plains Hospital joins the Magnet community—a select group of just 392 out of nearly 6,000 total healthcare organizations in the United States, and one of only 19 in New York State to receive the designation.
“Achieving Magnet designation reinforces the culture of excellence that is a cornerstone of how we serve our community at White Plains Hospital.” said Jon B. Schandler, President and C.E.O. “It is also tangible evidence of our nurses’ commitment to providing the very best care to our patients, of which we are extremely proud.”
Magnet recognition is widely considered to be the gold standard for nursing excellence and is taken into consideration when the public judges healthcare organizations, including in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual evaluation and ranking of criteria for quality of inpatient care for their annual “America’s Best Hospitals” edition.
To achieve Magnet recognition, healthcare organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy review process demanding widespread participation from leadership and staff and including extensive written documentation to demonstrate qualitative and quantitative evidence related to patient care and outcomes. Organizations must also complete a several day comprehensive on-site visit by Magnet surveyors, which for White Plains Hospital occurred in January, 2012.
In particular, the Magnet model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. The foundation of this model is composed of various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as
• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of discharge information
• Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses
• Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave position
According to Leigh Anne McMahon, M.S.N., M.H.A., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at White Plains Hospital, “Being recognized with the prestigious designation as a Magnet institution reaffirms what we have known for many years- that White Plains Hospital provides the highest quality care to its patients and is one of the finest healthcare institutions in the United States.”