Dr. David L. Callender, David Marshall and Donna Sollenberger celebrate UTMB Magnate recognition.
Only 395 hospitals in the United States have earned this recognition. UTMB joins 30 hospitals in Texas, including six in the Texas Medical Center, to achieve this elite status.
The announcement came via a conference call from Craig Luzinski, director of the Magnet Recognition Program, who said it was his “honor and privilege” to notify UTMB of its Magnet status. Luzinski noted it was “quite an accomplishment” as several dozen nurses and administrators cheered the news.
“Magnet recognition shows that patient care in UTMB Hospitals meets the widely accepted gold standard for excellence in nursing and quality patient care,” said David Marshall, chief nursing and patient care services officer. “The hospital, its staff and physicians, and — most importantly — patients all benefit from Magnet status.”
Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the UTMB Health System, said the process of achieving Magnet recognition has been inspiring and uplifting. “From care, to education, to research, it is clear that nurses at UTMB make a tremendous difference in the lives of their patients,” she said. “And they do it with such skill, enthusiasm and compassion.”
Offering his congratulations to those assembled, UTMB President Dr. David L. Callender said he was not surprised. “It’s taken an incredible effort and demonstrates that indeed, we’re at the top relative to patient care.”
According to the Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, “Recognizing quality patient care and nursing excellence, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive.”
Hospitals applying for Magnet status must meet a range of criteria, including the quality of nursing leadership, professional models of care, quality of care and a commitment to quality improvement. Benefits to patients include improved patient results, shorter lengths of patient stay and lower patient mortality rates. Magnet hospitals enjoy a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining nursing and other healthcare medical staff.
“It takes a team of health care providers to create a magnetic environment, so it is important to remember that this recognition is for both nursing excellence and quality patient care,” Marshall said. “Magnet recognition also means that UTMB is a magnet for the best and the brightest nurses.”
“I can’t think of any other people I’d rather be associated with,” Marshall told his staff following the announcement. “This is a team effort. Every nurse at UTMB played a part in this incredible achievement.”