North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center, and Huntington Hospital are the only Long Island facilities to have achieved the Nation's highest honor for nursing excellence: Magnet Recognition.

Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center was the first hospital in New York State to achieve Magnet designation in March, 2001. North Shore University Hospital was the first hospital in Nassau County and the second hospital in New York State to achieve designation in December, 2001.  Most recently, Huntington Hospital became the first hospital in Suffolk County and the only community hospital on Long Island to be so honored, in March 2004.

Conferred by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Magnet Recognition indicates that a hospital meets the highest national standards for professional nursing practice.  This top honor of the nursing profession recognizes quality patient care and exemplary nursing leadership.

Based in Washington, D.C., the ANCC is the nation's leading nursing credentialing organization and is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA).  ANCC's magnet program is a voluntary peer-reviewed process. The program recognizes excellence in management philosophy and practices in nursing service; adherence to standards for improving quality of nursing care, leadership of the chief nurse executive in supporting professional practice; competence of nursing personnel; and attention to the cultural and ethnic needs of patients and their health care providers.

The rigorous and comprehensive evaluation is conducted by a team of professional registered nurses with experience in nursing administration and nursing practice, which evaluates the hospital's nursing services, clinical outcomes, and patient care delivery as defined in the ANA's Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators. The appraisers not only review traditional "nurse-sensitive" indicators, but also conduct extensive staff interviews to help validate their involvement in nursing research, ongoing education and innovative patient care initiatives.

"The magnet designation is like winning an Olympic Gold Medal," says Maureen White, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for the North Shore-LIJ Health System.  According to Ms. White, "Achieving magnet status validates everything we have worked for. It demonstrates the effectiveness of our commitment to quality patient care, visionary nursing leadership, and the development and retention of a caring, compassionate and competent workforce."