For Immediate Release

April 20, 2005

Mercy First in Oklahoma to be Named Magnet Hospital

Oklahoma City — Mercy Health Center is the first hospital in Oklahoma and among only 2 percent of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

“Only 150 hospitals out of 5,000 in the nation are Magnet hospitals. It’s a tremendous honor to be among such a select group,” said Chris Weigel, Mercy chief nursing officer. “It is the gold standard for nursing, and even though we’ve always known we have outstanding nurses, now everyone else will know it.”

Mercy is among a list of distinguished Magnet hospitals, including: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, CA), Mayo-Rochester Hospital (Rochester, MN), University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX), The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD), The Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH), and Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, TX).

The ANCC, an arm of the American Nurses Association, is the nation’s leading nursing credentialing center. To earn Magnet status, hospitals must undergo a rigorous application and on-site inspection process. The ANCC looks at every area of a hospital’s operation.

Studies have shown that Magnet-designated facilities:

• Report higher patient satisfaction rates

• Deliver better patient outcomes

• Consistently outperform non-magnet organizations

• Provide more nursing care at the bedside of patients

• Have shorter length of patient stay

• Have lower patient mortality rates

• Have lower incidence of needle stick injuries

• Enjoy increased nurse retention and recruitment rates

• Report lower rates of nurse burnout and higher rates of job satisfaction

When U.S. News & World Report published its annual ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals,” facilities with Magnet status scored among the highest in virtually every category.

“Magnet hospitals are magnets for nurses,” said Weigel. “Studies have shown time and time again that if nurses enjoy their work, patients get better care. Mercy provides the very best in nursing and patient care.”

Mercy Health Center is a member of Mercy Health System of Oklahoma and the Sisters of Mercy Health System.

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