UCSF Medical Center Recognized for Excellence in Patient Care
Third Magnet Designation Spotlights Nursing Leadership, Patient Outcomes and Diversity
UCSF Medical Center has earned its third consecutive Magnet Recognition®, representing more than a decade of gold-standard excellence in nursing and hospital practices, and quality patient care.
In presenting this year’s designation, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) unanimously commended UCSF Medical Center for its overall excellence in patient outcomes, as well as three “exemplary professional practice” components:
- Transformational leadership centering on UCSF PRIDE values – Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence
- Structural empowerment: 91 percent of registered nurses at UCSF Medical Center have earned a baccalaureate degree or above, exceeding the ANCC goal of 80 percent
- Ambulatory setting: ANCC touted a UCSF Medical Center program to reduce patient infections, which outperformed the Magnet benchmark for eight quarters.
The prestigious designation honors hospitals that emphasize optimal patient outcomes and excellence, in a culture that allows nurses to flourish. Fewer than one in 10 U.S. hospitals have achieved Magnet status, which requires a rigorous application and review process every four years. UCSF is the only hospital in San Francisco to hold this distinction, which it shares with all five of the University of California academic medical centers.
“We are honored to be recognized with the Magnet designation for nursing excellence in our hospitals,” said Suresh Gunasekaran, president and chief executive officer of UCSF Health. “This reflects the quality of both our nursing staff and our clinical teams overall, as well as the care we provide for our patients and the most vulnerable members of our community.”
The Magnet designation was awarded to UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, which include the UCSF hospitals and clinics at Parnassus, Mount Zion and Mission Bay. UCSF Medical Center received its initial Magnet designation in 2012 and was recertified in 2017.
Amy Kangwankij, pediatric nurse at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital hugs Ashley Walker Benjamin, the mother of one of her patients. Photo by Barbara Ries
Rachel Jones, RN, far left, clinical nurse, Binju Kc, CRNA, senior nurse anesthetist, and Julie Ann Sosa, MD, MA, FACS, professor in the department of Medicine, and chair of Surgery, conduct an Endocrine Surgery at the Parnassus campus. Photo by Susan Merrell
Mercy Vigil, CRNA, left, a senior certified registered nurse anesthetist, and Martha Paduch, CRNA, during an OBGYN surgery at the Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital at the Mission Bay campus. Photo by Susan Merrell
The Magnet designation was awarded to UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, which include the UCSF hospitals and clinics at Parnassus, Mount Zion and Mission Bay. UCSF Medical Center received its initial Magnet designation in 2012 and was recertified in 2017.
“This is an exciting moment for our nurses and for our entire clinical team,” said Pat Patton, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, system chief nurse executive for UCSF Health. “Nurses make up nearly a third of UCSF Health employees and help us deliver high-quality, patient-centered care. It takes an entire team working closely and collaboratively to achieve this designation, and it should be a source of pride for all involved to receive it during the largest pandemic in history.”
It takes an entire team working closely and collaboratively to achieve this designation, and it should be a source of pride for all involved to receive it during the largest pandemic in history.
UCSF Medical Center received the Magnet quality designation on the same day that The Leapfrog Group recognized UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay with an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for its rigorous safety measures that protect hospital patients from harm and errors.
Created in 1994, Magnet Recognition® is the highest accolade bestowed by ANCC – the world’s largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization. The designation focuses on five elements: transformational leadership; structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovations and improvements; and empirical outcomes. Studies show that Magnet hospitals experience high levels of patient satisfaction, decreased mortality rates, fewer patient falls, and higher quality and patient safety levels.
About UCSF Health: UCSF Health is recognized worldwide for its innovative patient care, reflecting the latest medical knowledge, advanced technologies and pioneering research. It includes the flagship UCSF Medical Center, which is ranked among the top 10 hospitals nationwide, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. These hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its graduate-level health sciences education and biomedical research. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. Visit http://www.ucsfhealth.org/.