John Muir Medical Center, Concord Earns Nursing Excellence Re-Certification

News from John Muir Health:

The American Nurses Credentialing Center® (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, has re-designated John Muir Medical Center, Concord with Magnet® recognition status for quality and excellence in nursing. The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services.

Magnet recognition is the highest level of recognition that the ANCC can grant to a health care organization and honors the nursing staff at John Muir Medical Center, Concord as one of the best in the nation. Both of John Muir Health’s medical centers are Magnet recognized -- two of just eight in northern California, 26 in California (out of nearly 400) and 414 in the United States (out of nearly 5,000).

Of those 414 hospitals, only 11 percent, including John Muir Medical Center, Concord, are unionized. John Muir Medical Center, Concord was originally honored in 2010 before being re-designated this year. John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek was originally honored in 2008, then re-designated in 2013.

To earn Magnet re-designation, evidence of continuing progress and excellence must be validated every four years. Hospitals must undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes an extensive application and review of patient care services, as well as a three-day site visit that includes interviews with nurses, physicians, staff, administrators, board and community members.

Research has demonstrated that Magnet hospitals offer a number of benefits to patients, including:

· Improved care environments for patients and families

• Better patient, physician and staff satisfaction
• Patient-centered care with patients and families treated as partners
• Reduced mortality
• Lower registered nurse turnover and vacancy rates
• Ability to hire more highly educated and qualified professional staff, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc., in a highly competitive environment.