Elmhurst Hospital earns Magnet recognition for nursing excellence

Elmhurst Hospital, a 259-bed facility in the Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare system, has achieved recognition as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

There are 39 Magnet organizations in Illinois. Elmhurst, which employs 700 nurses, is one of five hospitals in DuPage County to have earned the prestigious recognition. Of the nation’s 6,000 hospitals, only about seven percent (nearly 420) are recognized as Magnet facilities by the ANCC.

With nurses, nursing leaders and senior executives gathered in the Elmhurst Hospital Oak Room, Donna Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN, Chair of the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program, made the announcement during a conference call on Tuesday, May 19.

“The Commission on Magnet has reviewed all of your documentation and the findings from your site visit and as a result, it is my honor to officially notify you the Commission has unanimously voted to pronounce Elmhurst Memorial Hospital as a Magnet organization,” said Havens. “This is testament to your commitment to nursing excellence, to your entire healthcare team, but most importantly to the patients you serve.”

“This is the most prestigious recognition our nurses can receive, so we’re very honored to have achieved Magnet status,” said Mary Lou Mastro, CEO, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare. “It’s a confirmation for our patients and the community that our nurses, physicians and staff are working together to create the optimal healing environment at Elmhurst Hospital.”

Elmhurst’s seven-year journey to Magnet recognition began in 2008 with the design of and move into a new replacement hospital in 2011, followed by Planetree Designation in 2012 and Planetree Distinction in 2013. Elmhurst is one of only five hospitals in the world to receive Planetree Distinction, the organization’s highest honor that recognizes Elmhurst’s achievement and innovation in the delivery of patient-centered care.

The rigorous Magnet recognition process culminated with a three-day site visit, March 30-April 1, to review all aspects of Elmhurst’s nursing care. During that time, Magnet appraisers met with nurses, physicians, employees, community members, patients and families to determine whether Elmhurst meets the standards for Magnet designation.

“We’re very proud and excited. There’s a sense of satisfaction by the nursing staff to be recognized for the quality they provide,” said Pamela Dunley, MS, MBA, RN, CENP, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer, Elmhurst Hospital. “This is very much a team effort, including nurses, physicians and all other departments in the hospital. The result is a pride in the nursing department and outcomes for our patients.”

Dunley cites a strong Nursing Shared Governance Model as a primary reason for earning Magnet status.

Shared Governance means all nurses at Elmhurst are involved in decision-making structures and processes that establish standards of practice and address opportunities for improvement. Nurses serve on decision-making bodies that address excellence in patient care and the safe, efficient and effective operation of the organization.

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 and lower reports of nurses intending to leave their jobs.

In December 2014, Edward Hospital, part of Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare, achieved recognition for the third time as a Magnet hospital. Edward was originally granted Magnet status in 2005 and was first re-designated in 2010. Edward is one of only six hospitals in Illinois to have achieved Magnet status three times or more.

For more information about Magnet, visit www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet. For more information about Elmhurst Hospital, visit www.emhc.org.