THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano's Nursing Excellence Recognized with Prestigious Magnet® Recognition

Recognition achieved by 382 out of nearly 6,000 U.S. healthcare organizations

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano has achieved Magnet® recognition as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork, and superiority in patient care. Magnet recognition is determined by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, which ensures that rigorous standards for nursing excellence are met. With this credential, THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano joins the Magnet community—a select group of 382 healthcare organizations out of nearly 6,000 U.S. healthcare organizations.

"Magnet recognition provides our community with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of patient care," said Mark A. Valentine, hospital president. "Achieving Magnet recognition reinforces the culture of excellence that is a cornerstone of how we serve our community. It's also the tangible evidence of our nurses' commitment to providing the very best care to our patients."

Magnet recognition has become the gold standard for nursing excellence and is taken into consideration when the public judges healthcare organizations. In fact, U.S. News & World Report's annual showcase of "America's Best Hospitals" includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.

To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. The process begins with the submission of an electronic application, followed by written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. If scores from the written documentation fall within a range of excellence, an on-site visit will occur to thoroughly assess the applicant. After this rigorous on-site review process, the Commission on Magnet will review the completed appraisal report and vote to determine whether Magnet recognition will be granted.

In particular, the Magnet model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC can assess applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization's nursing excellence. The foundation of this model is composed of various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as

• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of discharge information;
• Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue;
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses; and
• Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave position.

About THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano

THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is the first and only freestanding, full-service hospital in this region dedicated solely to heart and vascular health care. The $134 million, 116-bed hospital has been designed to maximize the delivery of safe, quality, compassionate health care. THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is a partnership between Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and cardiovascular physicians and surgeons practicing in North Texas.

Additionally, for a second consecutive year, THE HEART HOSPITAL was a Press Ganey® Summit Award winner for Inpatient satisfaction. The hospital also won for the first time for Emergency Department satisfaction. Announced in November 2010, THE HEART HOSPITAL sustained an overall rank above the 95th percentile in those two categories for at least three years in the All Press Ganey database. Press Ganey currently works with more than 10,000 health care facilities – including more than 40 percent of U.S. hospitals – to measure and improve the quality of their care. Visit www.TheHeartHospitalBaylor.com to learn more about the facility, its various awards, and even take a virtual tour.

About the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®

The Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program® serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program® and current statistics, visit www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.

SOURCE THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano