Under the leadership of chief nursing officer Jodi Hein, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center has earned a fourth consecutive American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet designation, a rare honor held by a scant 50 hospitals across the U.S.

The ANCC first named Providence Holy Cross a Magnet hospital in 2007. Today, just 2.2 percent of U.S. hospitals have achieved the four-year Magnet designation four times. Dr. Hein credits the tremendous effort put forth by Providence Holy Cross nurses and an organization-wide multidisciplinary team during a time when staff and resources were strained by the pandemic. “There are close to 100 Magnet standards of excellence our nurses were required to meet and document,” she says. “Each nursing and ancillary department played a significant role in getting us to the finish line. We’re very grateful to have such an inclusive team working toward Magnet.”

Chief executive Bernie Klein, M.D., concurs. “Achieving this designation is extraordinary, particularly in light of the challenges of the past two years,” he says. “Our nurses continued to provide quality and compassionate care through innovation, teamwork, research and an unshakable passion for serving their patients. I couldn’t be prouder of our nurses and the organization-wide team that partnered with them to make this happen.”

Our patients deserve our best

The ANCC considers several factors in determining if a facility meets the rigorous standards of Magnet designation, including the empowerment and autonomy of nurses; a collaborative work environment; nurse and patient satisfaction; nurse education and research; patient outcomes that exceed national benchmarks; and nursing sensitive indicators that measure how nurses’ actions impact patient outcomes.

Several studies have found Magnet recognition improves patient outcomes. The ANCC requires a certain percentage of nurse-sensitive quality outcomes, such as lower incidences of pressure injuries, to outperform national benchmarks.

“For patients, a Magnet designation means the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best they can be,” says Sherri Mendelson, Ph.D., who serves as the hospital’s Magnet leader. “Nurses are empowered and involved in decision-making that affects their practice and patient care outcomes.”

According to Dr. Mendelson, Magnet designation signifies a normal way of operating, not an isolated preparation effort. “The journey to our fifth designation has already begun,” she says. “Being a Magnet organization is a continuous investment in our patients and nurses. The ultimate outcome is doing what’s right for patients and providing an enriching work environment for a group of health care professionals who have a significant impact on care.”

A culture of excellence and caring

In 2007, the 377-bed Providence Holy Cross became the first community hospital in Los Angeles County and the 11th hospital in California to earn Magnet status. Today there are 474 Magnet hospitals nationwide and 34 in the state — including Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.

Providence Holy Cross has also been recognized for the past two years among Healthgrades’ America’s Top 50 Hospitals and Modern Healthcare Magazine’s Best Places to Work in Health Care. Impressively, this year, Providence Holy Cross caregivers were recognized for the most clinical excellence awards in our history.

“We have a very special culture at Providence Holy Cross, and this was not lost on the Magnet committee who visited our medical center,” says Dr. Hein. “In their assessment, they noted over and over again how proud our nursing team was to work together at Providence Holy Cross. I’m honored to lead this team of nurses who set new standards for our profession, learn from one another, and challenge themselves to find new ways to improve upon excellence.”

Thank you to our donor community!

Philanthropy played a significant role in supporting the training and research required to be included in this esteemed group of Magnet-designated medical centers. We are deeply thankful to our donors for partnering with us to bring exceptional nursing care to our community.