South Miami Hospital Earns Third Consecutive Magnet® Designation

South Miami Hospital, for the third consecutive term, has achieved Magnet® recognition for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. The designation is the nation’s highest form of recognition for nursing excellence and a benchmark for the quality of care patients receive.

South Miami Hospital joins the ranks of elite clinical-care institutions in the nation with its Magnet Recognition Program status. Only 18 hospitals in Florida and less than 7 percent of the hospitals in the nation have achieved Magnet recognition. Less than 3 percent of this group has earned re-designation and less than 1 percent has been designated a third time. South Miami Hospital first received Magnet recognition in 2004 and was re-designated in 2008.

“To retain Magnet status for the third consecutive time is a tremendous achievement,” said Lincoln Mendez, the hospital’s chief executive officer. “It confirms what our patients and families tell us every day – that the nurses at South Miami Hospital provide exceptional and compassionate care.”

Magnet designation is widely accepted as the gold standard of nursing excellence. The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes excellence and professionalism in nursing, which results in enhanced quality of care and patient safety. Applicants undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and a review of nursing services. An organization seeking to reapply for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance and quality were sustained and improved over the four-year period.

“Re-designation as a Magnet facility recognizes the outstanding work our nurses do each day in caring for their patients and each other, and reflects the commitment of our entire staff to provide the highest quality care possible for the people of our community,” said Kathy Sparger, R.N., vice president and chief nursing officer of South Miami Hospital. “This is recognition we all share, and I am very proud of this honor.”

Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and more than 30 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 15,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians, and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health was just listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#19 in the nation and #1 in Florida) and has remained on the list for 14 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. Visit BaptistHealth.net.

The Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, recognizes health-care organization 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 NurseCredentialing.org/Magnet.

Contact: Tanya R. Walton; 786-662-4577; [email protected]