Huntington Hospital Earns Fourth Magnet Nursing Honor, a Long Island First

Huntington Hospital has become the first hospital on Long Island to achieve nursing’s highest honor – Magnet® designation – for the fourth time in a row.

Magnet® status is the gold standard for nursing excellence – a reflection of Huntington Hospital’s nursing professionalism, strong collaboration, innovation and teamwork as well as its superiority in patient care. The American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) prestigious Magnet Recognition Program® is one that has been achieved by just seven percent of hospitals worldwide. Huntington Hospital, in addition to being the first on Long Island, is the second in New York State and one of just 36 in the country to receive Magnet® designation four or more times. Each Magnet® designation lasts four years.

Magnet® recognition 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. Huntington Hospital is the highest ranked community hospital in New York State and is in the top five percent of all hospitals statewide.

“Our nurses deliver the highest standard of compassionate, patient-centered care to tens of thousands of patients every year,” said Susan Knoepffler, RN, vice president for nursing at Huntington Hospital. “We know how imperative it is to put the patient and family at the center of our care.”

A recent example of innovation from Huntington Hospital’s nursing staff is the Nightingale phone. A Huntington Hospital cancer department nurse manager created a new way for patients to more quickly get their needs met – a phone with a speed dial button on the back that connects directly to the Vocera paging device each nurse wears. The hospital began using the Nightingale phone in the cancer unit last year. The device has since been rolled out to other departments in the hospital – and throughout Northwell Health.

Research demonstrates that Magnet® recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:

• Improved patient experience
• Better patient outcomes
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses

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 documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet® Recognition.

For more information about Huntington Hospital, call 631-351-2000.