The University of Virginia Medical Center has received “Magnet®” recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for its quality patient care, excellence in nursing care and innovative nursing practices.

Approximately 7 percent of U.S. hospitals have earned Magnet recognition. The honor is achieved following a detailed review that includes a written application highlighting quality patient care outcomes as well as an on-site review by a survey team.

“This is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the extraordinary things we can accomplish as we strive to be the safest hospital to provide and receive care,” said Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace, chief executive officer of the U.Va. Medical Center.

During the review, U.Va. demonstrated that it meets Magnet recognition criteria in several areas, including:

• Exemplary professional practice: U.Va. nurses work collaboratively in teams with colleagues from across the Health System to provide comprehensive, coordinated and quality care.

• New knowledge, innovations and improvements: U.Va. nurses work to provide new ways of achieving high-quality, effective and efficient care through their professional nursing practice.

• Outcomes: U.Va. nurses demonstrate excellent clinical outcomes related to nursing.

During a phone call to tell U.Va. officials that the Medical Center had earned Magnet recognition, American Nurses Credentialing Center leaders cited U.Va.’s “Be Safe” initiative – which enables staff to identify patient or staff safety issues and use a real-time, problem-solving process to address them – as an exemplar of the quality work done by U.Va. nurses.

“We have strengthened our collaborations, refined our methods and enhanced the environment that supports excellent nursing practice,” said Jennifer T. Hall, U.Va.’s magnet program manager.

Lorna Facteau, U.Va.’s chief nursing officer, thanked nurses from across U.Va. for their efforts to earn Magnet recognition.

“This honor highlights the hard work and dedication of our nurses to provide the highest-quality care to all of our patients,” she said.

According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, studies of hospitals with Magnet recognition have shown they have a lower risk of 30-day patient mortality and higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information.