Spectrum Health Earns Magnet™ Re-designation

June 4, 2014

Spectrum Health Grand Rapids was informed last week that it was granted its second Magnet® Recognition status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®.

Magnet recognition is the highest and most prestigious international distinction a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and outstanding patient care.

Spectrum Health Grand Rapids was initially designated a Magnet hospital in 2009. Hospitals must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years. The 2014 designation is for Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Spectrum Health Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion.

“In many ways the re-designation process is much more challenging than initial designation,” said Shawn Ulreich, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing executive/vice president, clinical operations, Spectrum Health Grand Rapids. “It requires continuous improvement in nursing practice and patient outcomes between four-year site visits. By achieving Magnet status for a second time, we continue to set a standard of excellence.”

To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process including a submission of an electronic application, extensive written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes, and an on-site visit.

An organization seeking to reapply for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance, and quality were sustained and improved over the four-year period since the hospital received its initial recognition.

“To earn Magnet recognition once was a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses,” said Ulreich. “Our achievement of this credential for an additional four years underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drives our entire staff to strive harder each day to meet the health care needs of the people we serve.”

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 • Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave position

About the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®
The Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, visit www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 11 hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 170 ambulatory and service sites; 1,080 employed physicians and advanced practice providers including members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a 575,000-member health plan. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 21,300 employees. The organization provided $250 million in community benefit during its 2013 fiscal year.