Baptist Hospital has been re-awarded Magnet status for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This is the third time the ANCC has named Baptist Hospital a member of the prestigious Magnet Recognition Program.

Magnet designation is the nursing profession's highest honor and signifies exceptional patient care and standards.

In 1998, Baptist Hospital was the first hospital in Florida and the eleventh hospital nationwide to be awarded Magnet status. Worldwide, only 223 hospitals have received Magnet status. Baptist Hospital's Magnet status will remain in effect through 2010.
 
"We are pleased and proud to congratulate our nurses and all employees for this tremendous honor, said CEO Bo Boulenger. "Magnet reflects the teamwork of everyone who is connected with the hospital. It serves as an important reminder that our hospital provides an environment that supports nursing at its highest levels."

"I'm very excited that we've once again shown our leadership by receiving this honor," said Joan Clark, R.N., vice president and chief nursing officer of Baptist Hospital. "To earn Magnet status once is a tremendous accomplishment and a great source of pride for our nurses. To retain Magnet status for the third time really underscores the commitment of our nurses and entire staff to continually strive harder each day to meet the healthcare needs of the people we serve." 

According to the ANCC, the leading nursing credentialing organization in the United States, Magnet designation is widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care. The Magnet program recognizes excellence and professionalism in nursing management, philosophy and practices, adherence to standards for improving the quality of patient care and attention to cultural and ethnic diversity.

Applicants undergo an extensive evaluation, and members who are awarded Magnet status must continue to pass annual reviews as part of their four-year designation. To receive Magnet status for an additional term is confirmation of the hospital's resolve to deliver the highest level of care in nursing today.

Baptist Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. It also includes Baptist Children’s Hospital, South Miami Hospital (also a Magnet hospital), Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Baptist Outpatient Services.