AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center achieves Magnet® Recognition again

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2023

Recognition for fifth time reinforces commitment to nursing excellence

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has attained Magnet recognition for the fifth consecutive time – a testament to its continued dedication to ensuring high-quality nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® distinguishes healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.

“To earn our first Magnet recognition was a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses,” said Katherine Birkenstock, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer, AtlantiCare. “Our repeated achievement of this credential underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drive our entire team to strive every day to meet the healthcare needs of those we serve.”

“I’m incredibly proud of our AtlantiCare Nursing Team,” said Lori Herndon, MBA, BSN, RN, president and CEO, AtlantiCare. “This recognition demonstrates the significant, meaningful impact they have on care we provide within and well beyond the walls of our hospital.”

Only 608 out of more than 6,000 healthcare organizations in the United States hold Magnet status. ARMC is one of only 32 hospitals in New Jersey with this designation and one of only 35 that have achieved the recognition five times.

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to healthcare organizations and their communities, including:

• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information.
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges healthcare 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 initial 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.

Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. An organization reapplying for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence to demonstrate how staff members sustained and improved Magnet concepts, performance and quality over the four-year period since the organization received its most recent recognition.

“We’re a better organization today because of the Magnet recognition we first achieved 15 years ago,” said Birkenstock. “Magnet recognition raises the bar for patient care and inspires our team to attain excellence every day. To achieve this redesignation during the global pandemic is extraordinary. We congratulate our Nursing team. We thank them and our entire team for their unwavering commitment to providing our community with compassionate, high-quality care that helped us become a Magnet-recognized organization.”

The ANCC will honor AtlantiCare during the 2023 ANCC National Magnet® in Chicago, IL in October.

Contact:

Jennifer Tornetta, (O) 609-569-7010, (C) 609-335-3446, [email protected]

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AtlantiCare is an integrated healthcare system based in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, whose more than 6,000 staff, providers and volunteers serve the community in more than 100 locations in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Ocean counties of southern New Jersey. Its vision of building healthy communities together drives its mission of making a difference in health and healing, one person at a time, through caring and trusting relationships. A Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner, AtlantiCare was also included in Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work. AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center was the 105th hospital in the nation to attain the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet™ designation in 2004 and earned redesignation in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023. Learn more at atlanticare.org or 1-888-569-1000.