Northern Westchester Hospital Again Achieves Magnet® Recognition

As a reflection of Northern Westchester Hospital’s (NWH) nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care, NWH has achieved Magnet® recognition for the second time, announced by the Chair of the Commission on Magnet on January 31. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program® distinguishes organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. NWH achieved this recognition previously in 2012.

With this credential, NWH again joins the global community of Magnet-recognized organizations. Just 448 U.S. health care organizations out of over 6,300 U.S. hospitals have achieved Magnet recognition. NWH is also one of nine hospitals worldwide that are Planetree Designated with Distinction, which means that NWH is a teaching hospital and nationally recognized leader for patient-centered care, committed to fostering patient and family engagement and creating innovative programs and services that are fundamentally attentive to the needs of patients and their families. There are currently only five hospitals worldwide that are both Planetree Designated with Distinction AND Magnet recognized.

“Magnet recognition provides our community with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of patient care,” said Lauraine Spano-Szekely, DNP, MBA, BSN, RN, senior vice president patient care services and chief nursing officer at NWH. “Achieving Magnet recognition reinforces the culture of excellence that is a cornerstone of how we serve our community. It’s also tangible evidence of our nurses’ commitment to providing the very best quality, patient-centered care to our patients, of which we are extremely proud.”

Registered Nurses at NWH are incented to obtain higher levels of education including baccalaureate preparation and certification in their specialties. Highly-qualified staff has a positive impact on patient safety.

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations 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 rates.
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
• Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave their positions.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence.

The foundation of this model comprises 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.

To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

“We have achieved Magnet recognition on the heels of several other noteworthy achievements in 2016 that speak to the overarching quality of care and focus on patient and family engagement that can be found at Northern Westchester Hospital,” said Spano-Szekely. In addition to re-designation as a Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital with Distinction, NWH received re-accreditation by the Joint Commission, and earned its fourth consecutive “A” Grade for Patient Safety in the fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.