Winter Haven Hospital is awarded prestigious nursing Magnet designation
As Polk County’s first healthcare organization to achieve Magnet status, Winter Haven Hospital joins 305 hospitals across the country – about 5 percent of the nation’s total – to be recognized for excellence in patient care. Hospital staffers have worked for more than five years to meet the program’s rigorous requirements.
Winter Haven Hospital has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with the prestigious designation of Magnet status for its nursing program. The Hospital is the first in Polk County to achieve Magnet status, which has been granted to about 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals.
According to the ANCC, the “Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice … Recognizing quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive.”
“All of our nurses and staff at Winter Haven Hospital have been working hard toward this day for more than five years,” said Mary Jo Schreiber, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. “We are, of course, very proud of our nurses and of the outstanding level of care that they provide to our patients.”
Although the designation is an American Nursing Association standard, it is awarded to the hospital organization as a whole because the excellence in patient care outcomes that the award represents is achieved through the efforts of every staff member, volunteer, and physician on staff at Winter Haven Hospital, Schreiber said.
She noted that an ANCC credentialing team visited Winter Haven Hospital in September and solicited public commentary on the Hospital’s application for Magnet status.
Schreiber said: “On behalf of everyone at Winter Haven Hospital, I would like to express my thanks to the east Polk County community, which so strongly supports our not-for-profit healthcare mission. We are aware of that support on a daily basis, which contributes to the morale and the dedication that our nursing staff have for their profession.”
Lance Anastasio, president and CEO of Winter Haven Hospital, said: “I want to offer my congratulations to our nursing organization for achieving this distinguished national recognition. And I want to emphasize that as an institution, we have made a commitment to remaining on the Magnet journey. We think it’s a vital commitment to our patients from throughout the region.”
A formal award ceremony will be announced in the near future. Representatives from the Commission on Magnet Recognition will travel to Winter Haven to officially present the designation certificate to Hospital officials.
Charles McPherson, chairman of the Winter Haven Hospital Board of Trustees, said: “Everyone in east Polk County should take a measure of pride in the awarding of Magnet status to Winter Haven Hospital. Our commitment to serving our patients with the highest standard of nursing care has been certified to be among the very best in the nation. There simply are not many communities who can say that.”
The Chamber adds it congratulations to the staff and management of Winter Haven Hospital.
What a huge honor! Congrats at all!
What an incredible achievement! Congratulations to the WH Hospital team, particularly Mary Jo and the nursing staff. This is an outstanding asset to both the hospital and our community.
This is a testament to the incredible things that WH Hospital is doing to provide the best in healthcare services to our community. It is a true reflection of the talented nurses, physicians, and staff that worked so diligently to achieve this superior status. Congratulations!
Awesome achievment! Congratulations to all who contributed to this accomplishment. What a credit to the Winter Haven community!
Well deserved after all the hard work! Congratulations to all.