May 2016 Vol. 18 Issue 5
ECHO
THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OF HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
HSS Receives Record-breaking Magnet Designation SS made history this April when we became
H
the first hospital in the state of New York to
achieve a fourth consecutive Magnet desig-
nation, the highest award for nursing excellence given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Dr. Roger F. Widmann Invested as the Leon Root, M.D. Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics
T
The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes healthcare institutions for superior nursing processes and quality patient care, which lead to the highest levels
he Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Service marked the investiture of Roger F. Widmann, M.D., as the Leon Root, M.D. Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics
at a celebration of the Lerner Children’s Pavilion at
of safety, quality and patient satisfaction. It is widely
HSS held on April 20. About 150 were in attendance
accepted as the gold standard for nursing industrywide, and achieving a fourth consecutive designation
at the standing-room-only event, including members
shows just how dedicated and committed our entire
of the Pediatric Council, Board of Trustees, Board of Advisors and Lerner Children’s Pavilion physicians and
nursing staff is. “Our nurses are at the heart of every aspect of patient care,” said Stephanie Goldberg, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer. “Each and every one of them plays an integral role in our collaborative team approach here at HSS. We are privileged to have
surgeons, interdisciplinary colleagues, prestigious members of academia and the community, the senior nursing leadership team and patient care directors. They also attended unit rounds and reviewed the documentation submitted as part of the application process.
staff, as well as donors to the Leon Root, M.D. Chair. Co-Chairs of the Pediatric Council, trustees Lara Lerner and Monica Keany, along with HSS pediatric physicians, shared warm thoughts about both Leon Root, M.D., and Dr. Widmann. They expressed how honored they were to recognize the vast contributions Dr. Root
high nurse recruitment and retention rates, high job
Lou Shapiro, president and CEO, noted that the
made to HSS, and also discussed Dr. Widmann’s role
satisfaction and an excellent nurse-to-patient ratio.”
appraisers described themselves as “blown away”
in spearheading the continued growth of pediatrics.
According to Stephanie, the principles of Magnet are
by what they saw here at HSS.
embedded into our organization and have become a
“I am very proud of our team, and I am also inspired
part of daily life for the more than 500 nurses at HSS.
by what we have accomplished and what else we
Nurse leaders use the Magnet Model for Nursing
can accomplish in the future,” said Lou. “People from
Excellence to strategically identify goals, initiatives
more than 100 countries and 50 states come to
and measures of success that will bring to life best
HSS for an outstanding patient experience provided
practices or sources of evidence contained within
by a world-class team. I want to congratulate the
the Magnet framework.
highly-skilled nursing staff for their daily dedication,
Despite this, the Magnet application process is still a huge undertaking. In 2014, the Magnet Recognition
commitment to excellence and for staying true to the HSS mission.”
Program published a new manual with revised, more
Todd J. Albert, M.D., surgeon-in-chief and medical
rigorous expectations for performance, making the
director, also praised the nursing staff for their
Dr. Albert officially invests Dr. Widmann as the new Leon Root, M.D. Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics.
designation more difficult than ever to receive.
hard work and outstanding efforts when it comes
Shevaun Mackie Doyle, M.D., associate attending
to patient care.
orthopedic surgeon, and Daniel W. Green, M.D., M.S.,
more than 80 sources of written documentation
“As physicians, we work alongside our nurses who
FAAP, FACS, attending orthopedic surgeon, were both
to show the Hospital is meeting Magnet standards,
really are the around-the-clock support system for
senior residents when Dr. Widmann joined the HSS
three appraisers from the ANCC came to HSS for
our patients,” said Dr. Albert. “This strong collabora-
family. They offered personal stories about working
a site visit in early March. The appraisers met
tion ensures that we deliver the highest quality of
with him over the years and read a letter from a grateful
with the Hospital’s executive team, physicians,
care resulting in optimal patient outcomes.”
parent who said, “Dr. Widmann makes the kids feel like
Our sustained status as a Magnet-designated
their feelings are important. He probably has no idea
hospital makes HSS a preferred place of employment
how he has changed our lives.”
for nurses. In fact, according to Stephanie, most new
CONTINUED on page 2
After completing an application and submitting
Magnet by the Numbers • 437 Magnet-designated organizations in the country • 35 organizations that have been Magnet-designated 4 or more times • 1 hospital in New York State with 4 consecutive Magnet designations – HSS!
nurses have stated that Magnet status was part of their search criteria when applying to hospitals, and
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our Magnet designation influenced their choice to work at HSS. “HSS nurses at every level are committed to excellence, which is made evident by this prestigious designation,” said Stephanie. “I am so proud and honored to be a part of this amazing team!”
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IT and Healthcare at HSS Arthritis Walk Myositis Awareness Month