UM Shore Regional Health’s three hospitals – Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton – were notified on Thursday, September 19, that they received Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Dorchester and Easton hospitals first earned recognition as Magnet® hospitals in 2009 and were re-designated in 2014. Shore Medical Center at Chestertown was included in the Magnet® application process for the first time this year.
Magnet® recognition is an organizational credential granted to exceptional health care organizations that meet specific standards set forth by the ANCC. To achieve Magnet® recognition, an organization must meet standards in quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Maintaining Magnet® status requires a rigorous re-application process every four years.
Nursing team members at SMC Chestertown celebrated the news that the Chestertown hospital is now included in UM SRH’s Magnet® designation.
Achieved by only 8 percent of all registered hospitals in the United States, Magnet® recognition is the ultimate distinction for high quality nursing care. At present, UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton are three of only eight hospitals in Maryland, including University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, that are Magnet® designated.
UM Shore Regional Health’s Magnet® 2019 re-designation process included an extensive application and documentation process, followed by a three-day visit to all sites conducted by a team of appraisers from ANCC in mid-July.
“It is an honor to be the new CNO at Shore Regional Health, a Magnet® designated health care system,” said Jennifer L. Bowie, vice president, Nursing and Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer. “Prior to my arrival at Shore, I had joined the team for the Magnet® site visit and saw firsthand the passion our nurses have for our patients and how those patients and their families are at the center of everything our Shore nurses do. My heart was truly touched. I am proud of our nurses and their achievement, and I look forward to the journey ahead. We have much to celebrate.”
Former CNO and senior vice president Ruth Ann Jones was on-hand for the Magnet® announcement, which was made by Magnet® officials by phone call to the Easton hospital Board Room and shared via video conference with nursing staff in Cambridge, Chestertown and Queenstown locations. “This is an exciting day for SRH. The Magnet® process has been long and arduous but certainly worth the time and effort,” said Jones. “I could not be more proud of the nursing team and am so excited that Shore Medical Center at Chestertown is now part of Shore’s Magnet® recognition. We could not have achieved this honor without the teamwork of all the departments and services throughout our system, for which I am truly grateful. This has been a fabulous ending to my years at Shore Regional Health and a great way to begin retirement and hand over the reins to Jenny Bowie as vice president and chief nursing officer.”
Shown in the center, in yellow and blue respectively, are SRH former and present chief nursing officers Ruth Ann Jones and Jennifer Bowie; at far right are Ken Kozel, president and CEO and Board chairman Keith McMahan.
“The nursing staffs of Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton have worked incredibly hard to advance professional nursing practice in our hospitals and patient care programs, while maintaining the highest standards of evidence-based, patient-centered care,” said Ken Kozel, president and CEO, UM Shore Regional Health. “For our Dorchester and Easton medical centers, achieving re-designation from the Magnet® Recognition Program is a great achievement that exemplifies consistent nursing excellence. Today, we are especially excited and proud that Shore Medical Center at Chestertown has earned the prestigious Magnet® distinction as well, solidifying Shore Regional Health as a Magnet® health care system. On behalf of our senior leadership team and the Board of UM Shore Regional Health, I extend utmost appreciation and congratulations to everyone involved in our Magnet® journey.”
More information about the American Nurse Credentialing Center’s Magnet® Program may be found at https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/.
As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.
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