Kootenai Health achieves Magnet status

Kootenai Health attained Magnet recognition for the fifth time. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.

Receiving Magnet recognition for the fifth time is rare, and a great achievement for Kootenai Health, as it continues to proudly belong to the global Magnet community — a small, select group of domestic health care organizations and hospitals in the U.S.

“Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to this community,” said Kim Jorgensen, Kootenai Health chief nursing officer. “To earn Magnet recognition once was a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses. Our repeated achievement of this credential underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drive our entire staff to strive harder each day to meet the health care needs of the people we serve.”

Research shows that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as higher patient satisfaction, lower mortality rates and higher job satisfaction among nurses.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Hospitals” showcase includes Magnet recognition as a criterion for measuring inpatient care quality.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Hospitals” showcase includes Magnet recognition as a criterion for measuring inpatient care quality.

The Magnet Recognition Program provides a framework for nursing excellence that requires organizations to meet specific standards for leadership, nursing practice, research and measurable patient outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across multiple components and dimensions to assess an organization’s nursing excellence.

ANCC's evaluation focuses on key indicators of nursing excellence, including interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice, professional development and continuous quality improvement. Organizations must demonstrate sustained achievements and measurable outcomes that positively impact both patients and caregivers.

To achieve and maintain Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process every four years that requires board engagement from both leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, submission of more than 100 examples demonstrating adherence to Magnet standards and nursing excellence, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet.

Health care organizations seeking redesignation must demonstrate continued adherence to Magnet standards and ongoing improvements in patient care, nursing practice and quality outcomes. As part of the four-year redesignation cycle, organizations provide documented evidence of sustained excellence and measurable advancements achieved since their most recent recognition.

“We’re a better organization today because of the Magnet recognition we first achieved in 2006,” said Jorgensen. “Magnet recognition raised the bar for patient care and inspired every member of our team to achieve excellence every day. It is this commitment to providing our community with high-quality care that helped us become a Magnet-recognized organization, and it’s why we continue to pursue and maintain Magnet recognition.”