For the second time in four years, Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park has achieved Magnet status, the gold standard in nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, making it the only children’s hospital in New York state to hold the designation.
The Magnet recognition reflects the highest standards of nursing professionalism, collaboration, teamwork and delivery of superior patient care, distinguishing the 202-bed Cohen Children’s Medical Center as the premier destination for pediatric care in the region. Magnet status has been awarded to about 9 percent of hospitals worldwide, or approximately 547 hospitals.
It is challenging for most hospitals to apply for Magnet recognition due to the ANCC’s demanding educational requirements of the chief nursing officer and other nurse leaders. For organizations that do meet the criteria, it is then necessary for them to benchmark themselves against other hospitals nationally and outperform those benchmarks.
The majority of these benchmarks are in nursing-related clinical indicators (such as falls, pressure ulcers, central line infections, and catheter-associated infections) and in nursing-related patient satisfaction scores (such as courtesy of nurses, the ability of staff to work as a team and sensitivity to personal needs or requests). Following that, a site visit from the ANCC occurs to determine whether the facility meets the stringent Magnet requirements. Cohen is one of eight Northwell Health hospitals to earn Magnet status.
“Earning Magnet recognition the first time in 2016 was a milestone in the history of the hospital, validating the exemplary professionalism, dedication and compassion our nurses show every day in caring for children and their families,” said Dr. Charles Schleien, senior vice president and chair of pediatrics at Northwell Health, in a statement. “To achieve Magnet status a second time confirms the unwavering commitment of our nurses and nursing leadership, especially in the face of treating patients during a pandemic. Our nurses answered the call to bravely care for patients no matter the sacrifice. I continue to be enormously grateful to them while we battle the second surge of the virus in New York.”
Margaret Duffy, the hospital’s chief nursing officer, oversees more than 700 nurses, who care for about 170,000 pediatric patients every year in the hospital and in ambulatory settings.
“Magnet is not just an award, it is a culture of excellence we have created to deliver the highest quality care to our patients,” Duffy said. “With this accomplishment, our patients and families are assured we are committed to always striving for the highest level of health care delivery.”
As the hospital’s executive director and former chief nurse executive at Cohen Children’s, Carolyn Quinn knows the extraordinary amount of effort it takes at all levels of the hospital to achieve and maintain Magnet status.
“The Magnet process brings every nursing department of the hospital together and relationships are strengthened with other disciplines throughout the facility. This teamwork and commitment translates, and truly raises the bar for patient care,” Quinn said. “This national nursing honor is a testament to the talent, energy and passion of our frontline staff who are driving optimum outcomes and the best patient experience.”
The Magnet status will remain valid for four years. After that time, the hospital will reapply to meet the ANCC criteria.
