Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center has received its first Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The designation is the highest national credential a health care organization can achieve for nursing excellence and quality patient care.
With this achievement, the medical center becomes Johns Hopkins Medicine's fifth Magnet facility. According to the ANCC, approximately 10% of U.S. health care organizations have earned Magnet designation.
Key Factors in Magnet Success
"Magnet recognition means more than excellence in nursing," says Ron Langlotz, D.N.P, R.N., chief nursing officer at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center. "It acknowledges organizations that have cultivated a hospital wide culture of excellence across every role — from the front desk greeters to the bedside caregivers to the teams that support patients after discharge."
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center's Magnet journey included extensive evaluation of its nursing services, patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction. Focus areas included nursing leadership, collaboration across specialties, quality outcomes measurement and improvement processes.
During a virtual announcement call, the ANCC identified the medical center as exemplary in nine areas, including:
- Collaborative practice in developing a new continuum of behavioral health care from the emergency department to the inpatient setting and community resources.
- Patient safety and care quality, as measured by the low incidence of hospital-acquired bedsores, urinary infections from catheters and bloodstream infections from central lines.
- Innovative approaches to expand, enrich and inspire evidence-based practice and research within a community medical center.
"These achievements truly belong to our staff," says Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center President M. Shafeeq Ahmeed, M.D., M.B.A. "Their continued dedication to our patients, commitment to quality and partnership with each other are what made our Magnet designation possible."
Impact for Staff and Patients
A Magnet designation highlights an organization's commitment to patient care through nursing excellence. For patients, it signals the highest standards of care, which can lead to better patient outcomes and experience. For staff, Magnet designation means higher job satisfaction by fostering a collaborative culture that also supports professional development.
Magnet recognition is often a factor when the public evaluates health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals list includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
Health care organizations must reapply for ANCC Magnet designation every four years.
"Receiving Magnet designation is a proud, emotional moment for everyone who cares for patients here," said Linda Sayre, M.S., R.N., Magnet program coordinator and Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center nurse since 1987. "This honor reflects the countless hours our staff has spent improving care, and it pushes us to keep rising to even higher standards for our patients and community."
