Plano Achieves Magnet Redesignation
March 23, 2012
Hospital is recognized for its steadfast commitment to nursing excellence
The Medical Center of Plano announced today that it has again received Magnet® recognition under the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program®. It is the first hospital in Plano to achieve that distinction of sustained nursing excellence.
Magnet is a voluntary credentialing program that recognizes excellence in nursing. The credential it confers is the highest honor a healthcare organization can receive for professional nursing practice.
"Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our community," said Troy A. Villarreal, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of The Medical Center of Plano.
"To earn Magnet recognition once was a great accomplishment and a tremendous source of pride for our nurses," Villarreal added. "Securing this credential for an additional four years is further validation of the culture of excellence that drives our entire staff to do a better and better job meeting the healthcare needs of the people we serve."
Magnet recognition has become the gold standard of nursing excellence and is factored into the overall rating of healthcare organizations. For example, U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition among its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
To achieve initial Magnet recognition, organizations must submit to a rigorous and lengthy process that requires broad-based participation at all levels. It begins with the submission of an electronic application, followed by written documentation consisting of both qualitative and quantitative evidence on patient care and outcomes. If scores from the written documentation fall within a range of excellence, an on-site visit is scheduled so that an even more thorough assessment of the applicant can be made. At the completion of the on-site review, the Commission on Magnet reviews the resulting report and votes on whether to grant Magnet recognition.
An organization seeking to reapply for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance, and quality were sustained and further solidified in the four years since the hospital received its initial recognition.
A close association has been demonstrated between Magnet recognition and the accrual of measurable benefits to hospitals and their communities, including:
- 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; and
- Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave position.
"We’re a better institution today because of the Magnet recognition we achieved four years ago," said Sandy Haire, chief nursing officer of The Medical Center of Plano. "It has raised the bar for patient care and inspired every member of our team to reach for excellence every day. It’s this commitment to providing our community with high-quality care that helped us become a Magnet hospital, and it’s why we remain one today."
Redesignation as a Magnet hospital enables TMCP to remain one of a select group of just 378 healthcare organizations out of nearly 6,000 throughout the United States. Its initial designation came in 2007.
