Sanford Bismarck Medical Center And Clinics Achieve 4th Magnet Recognition
Sanford Bismarck Medical Center and clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson and Watford City have been granted Magnet designation for the fourth time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. This designation is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.
“Patients in the Sanford Health Bismarck footprint should know, the care they receive is rated among the highest in the country,” said Todd Schaffer, M.D., president and CEO for the Bismarck region of Sanford Health. “This is the fourth time we have been honored with this designation and we know it’s because of the hard work, great attitudes, and professionalism of not only nurses but our entire healthcare team. We are proud to be ranked among the most elite hospitals in the country for our practice standards and quality patient outcomes.”
Less than 9% of health care organizations nationwide earn Magnet distinction, and fewer than 2% receive the honor four times. Sanford Health Bismarck is the only healthcare organization in North Dakota to have earned this prestigious recognition, let alone four times. Sanford Health Bismarck earned its first Magnet designation in 2008 and received re-designations in 2013, 2018 and 2023.
“I am proud of our team. One of the many attributes that makes Sanford Health Medical Center in Bismarck a Magnet organization is our culture, characterized by strong interpersonal relationships, healthy communication, and authentic leadership” said Wendy Kopp, PhD, MSN, RN, CENP vice president of nursing and clinical services. “We are better together – one team focused on continuous improvement and giving our very best to our patients and our community. Receiving a fourth designation demonstrates our continued commitment to the Magnet Framework of Excellence and the strong cultural foundation we have built over many years to sustain achievement of high-quality compassionate care.”
“Our nursing teams earned Magnet designation by delivering quality care and top-notch patient experience.” said Kristen Brunelle, MSN, MBA, RN, Magnet program coordinator. “The designation is a tribute to the excellence of our organization as a whole. Nursing is a large part of it, but we don’t do it alone.”
Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and the patients we serve, such as:
Higher patient satisfaction
Better patient outcomes
Improved safety and quality
Higher job satisfaction among nurses
About the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®
The Magnet Recognition Program® administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, recognizes healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program® serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care.
The Magnet program provides a framework for best nursing practice, research, and empirical outcomes. The Magnet framework is comprised of four foundational principles: structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, transformational leadership, and new knowledge, innovation and improvements. The ANCC evaluates applicants across each component, ensuring each component is not only met but exceeded. This is a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. The journey to Magnet recognition includes submission of a lengthy document outlining how the organization demonstrates each Magnet principle followed by an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.
Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years. An organization reapplying for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence that demonstrates the organization has sustained Magnet concepts and continued to deliver high-quality care.
The Sanford Bismarck region provides health care to central and western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. It includes 21 clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson and Watford City, as well as a Level II trauma center located in Bismarck.