Baptist Health Recognized for its Leadership in Health Care
Magnet Recognition

On December 17, 2007, Baptist Health was notified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that it has achieved recognition as a Magnet™ Health Care System, an international quality designation enjoyed by less than five percent of hospitals in the country. To date, Baptist Health is the only health care system in America whose five hospitals simultaneously have achieved Magnet designation, the nation's highest honor for excellence in patient care.

Baptist Health's Magnet-designated facilities include:

• Baptist Medical Center Downtown
• Baptist Medical Center Beaches
• Baptist Medical Center Nassau
• Baptist Medical Center South
• Wolfson Children's Hospital
• Baptist Home Health Care

What is Magnet Recognition?

The Magnet Recognition Program® was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize health care organizations that provide nursing excellence. The program also provides a vehicle for disseminating successful nursing practices and strategies.

Recognizing quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive. Magnet status is the "gold standard" for excellence in nursing and clinical care.

How Did Baptist Earn Magnet Recognition?

The distinction comes after more than three years of extensive documentation and evaluation of Baptist Health's clinical care and work environment at its five hospitals plus Baptist Home Health Care. The American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association that awards Magnet Status, looked at nearly 100 criteria in evaluating care at Baptist.

Who Benefits from Magnet?

Our patients do, of course, but so do our nurses, physicians and staff.

Researchers who have compared Magnet hospitals to those that haven't earned the quality status have found that Magnet hospitals enjoy better patient outcomes, including lower mortality rates and higher patient satisfaction.

Likewise, nurses at Magnet hospitals report higher morale and perceive the care being given by their institutions as better. Studies also show that Magnet-designated hospitals outperform in recruiting and retaining nurses - vital activities, especially given projections that the current national shortage of nurses will only get worse in the coming decade. Documentation shows that nurses at Magnet hospitals consider them good places to work. The hospitals themselves have lower staff turnover and vacancy rates, contributing to more consistent quality and performance.

A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration found that Magnet hospitals are "infused with quality care, nurse autonomy, informal and non-rigid verbal communication, innovation, bringing out the best in each individual, and striving for excellence." High-quality nursing creates a "halo" effect, as well, making a hospital more attractive to nurses' colleagues, including physicians and ancillary staff.

Want to Find Out More?

Visit the American Nurses Credentialing Center Web site to learn more about Magnet status.