A letter from Pennie Peralta, Vice President of Nursing at BSSF

A 'Magnet Hospital' is a hospital that has been officially recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a facility that has demonstrated excellence in nursing services. There are very specific criteria, or standards, that must be met and often exceeded, in order to receive this very prestigious award. Among the attributes, Magnet Hospitals emphasize high quality patient care, clinical autonomy and responsibility, encourage professional development, and have high levels of staff satisfaction. The process to become a Magnet Hospital takes not only a number of years to accomplish, but also a total dedication to strive for continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Both St. Francis and Roper hospitals have decided this year to pursue obtaining the recognition as Magnet Hospitals. We are an organization that historically strives to improve the quality of patient care and to be the employer who attracts the best to provide that care. Achievement of Magnet designation serves to attract and retain quality employees and helps demonstrate to the public that we have a proven level of excellence in patient care.

The journey has begun for both hospitals, and while we are along slightly different timelines, we are working in concert with each other to establish 'system' processes that will exceed the Magnet standards. As we go about this work, we are finding that it is really a 'journey to excellence in patient care', which is a very good thing for our patients and our staff.

Pennie Peralta, Vice President of Nursing
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital
March, 2007