UT Medical Center earns Magnet destination

10/17/2011

University of Tennessee Medical Center received word today that it has been given a Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The four-year Magnet designation recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.

UT Medical Center is the only Knoxville area hospital to receive Magnet status and one of two with active designations in the state. A third health system is in the process of seeking redesignation.

"Receiving this highly sought after recognition is an external validation of the exceptional quality of care received by patients of The University of Tennessee Medical Center," President and CEO Joe Landsman said in a news release.

The hospital's efforts to achieve this designation began four years ago with Janell Cecil, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at UT Medical Center. 

It included a 2,400 page written document containing evidence of the hospital's cultural focus on quality and the onsite evaluation by the ANCC, the world's largest nurse credentialing organization.

"Our skilled nurses, physicians and other clinicians at the medical center have worked tirelessly for many years to continuously improve our care processes on behalf of our patients," Cecil said in a news statement. "We must be clear that Magnet recognition is by no means a prize or an award, but rather a data and process driven measurement of patient outcomes at The University of Tennessee Medical Center."

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel