Newswise — ORLANDO, Fla. (August 16, 2013) – Arnold Palmer Medical Center, which comprises Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, has achieved Magnet® designation, the “gold standard” for nursing’s contribution to quality patient care, safety, research, and service excellence.
The designation has been granted by the Magnet Recognition Program® of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). It places Arnold Palmer Medical Center, the largest center in the country dedicated to the care of women, infants, and children, in an elite class of 396 hospitals (less than eight percent) throughout the United States that have achieved Magnet® designation.
“We’re very excited to receive Magnet® designation and extremely proud of the work our nurses have done to reach this level,” says Louise Kaigle, chief nursing officer at Arnold Palmer Medical Center. “The Magnet® designation means our team has committed to being among the best in providing quality patient care and nurturing a work environment built on superior collaboration, professionalism, and clinical excellence.”
Magnet® designation is a highly-coveted distinction by healthcare organizations around the country. The achievement provides tangible benefits for patients and nurses. Magnet® hospitals typically show higher patient satisfaction scores, lower rates of infection, lower incidence of pressure ulcers, a higher standard of nursing education, greater outperformance of common nursing benchmarks, and more collaboration between healthcare providers.
Arnold Palmer Medical Center began the multi-year process of achieving Magnet® designation when it submitted an application to the ANCC in October 2011. Major steps along the journey included development and submission of an electronic 2,000-page document providing evidence of how the hospital met the high quality criteria of Magnet® designation, a three-day site visit by ANCC appraisers who validate, verify, and amplify compliance to the Magnet® model, and an 8-10-week review period where a Magnet® committee of appraisers reviews reports to determine final status.
Arnold Palmer Medical Center received high marks during the Magnet® review process for:• Exceeding set goals for national specialty certification (>35%) and bachelor in nursing degrees (>50%) among direct-care nurses. • Nursing leadership development and mentoring programs, and succession planning. • Retention and longevity of nurse leaders that have been promoted from within the organization.• Quality indicators such as pressure ulcers, infection rates, and pain management.• Community relations and affiliations with nursing schools. • Ethics structure, including an ethics committee and proactive ethics rounding in the neonatal intensive care unit.• Inter-professional collaboration such as nurse-physician relationships, high level of engagement of other disciplines, and assurance of continuity of care across all settings. • Strong family-centered care
“It takes an extraordinary amount of work and commitment by our team members at all levels to reach Magnet® designation,” says Kathy Swanson, president of Arnold Palmer Medical Center. “It is a clear testament to the community that Arnold Palmer Medical Center places the care of our patients at the center of what we do and provides the highest quality of care.” ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL for CHILDREN Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com to learn more about all of our specialties.
WINNIE PALMER HOSPITAL for WOMEN & BABIESWinnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 285-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of women and babies. The hospital is a leader in neonatal intensive care, and comprehensive healthcare for women throughout all stages of life, providing a wide range of services in obstetric and gynecologic care. Winnie Palmer Hospital has been recognized as an Academic Center of Excellence in minimally invasive surgery. Its highly-trained physicians utilize the most advanced technology to effectively treat the vast majority of gynecologic conditions with fewer complications and faster recoveries. The hospital also includes comprehensive fetal diagnostics, labor and delivery services, maternal intensive care, and one of the largest centers for neonatal intensive care in the country. Annually, more than 13,000 babies are expected to be born at Winnie Palmer Hospital, making it one of the busiest in the country. The hospital also ranks in the top 10 percent nationally for patient satisfaction. To learn more, visit www.winniepalmerhospital.com or www.accordingtowinnie.com.
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