Approximately 3 percent of the nation's 5,700 hospitals and healthcare organizations have been recognized with Magnet status and only 33 of those are academic medical centers. "This is an honor that builds on our Patients First mission and recognizes the exceptional work being done every day by our nurses as well as the caregivers, physicians and employees who distinguish our hospital as one of the leading teaching hospitals in the nation," said Michelle Janney, RN, PhD, CNAA, vice president, Operations and chief nurse executive at Northwestern Memorial.
Hundreds of employees throughout the organization contributed time and effort to the Magnet application and review process, which culminated with a three-day site visit by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in May.
The Magnet Recognition Program was established in 1993 to recognize healthcare organizations that exhibit excellence in nursing, and measures such things as quality of nursing leadership, nurse and physician relationships, quality improvement and opportunities for professional development.
About Northwestern Memorial Hospital Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the country's premier academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern Memorial and its Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry have 744 beds and more than 1,400 affiliated physicians and 5,000 employees. Providing state-of-the-art care, Northwestern Memorial is recognized for its outstanding clinical and surgical advancements in such areas as cardiothoracic and vascular care, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, organ and bone marrow transplantation and women's health.
Northwestern Memorial was the sole recipient of the prestigious 2005 National Quality Health Care Award and eight of its medical specialties are listed in this year's U.S. News & World Report's issue of "America's Best Hospitals." The hospital also has been cited as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine six consecutive years and has been chosen by Chicago-area consumers for more than a decade as their "most preferred hospital" in National Research Corporation's annual survey.