Loma Linda University Health

Medical Center Earns Prestigious Magnet Recognition Hospital recognized with highest honor of healthcare nursing excellence

Loma Linda University Medical Center has earned Magnet Recognition as part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.

Helen Staples-Evans, DNP, RN, NE-BC, senior vice president of care services and chief nursing officer at Loma Linda University Medical Center, thanked the ANCC for their commitment to excellence and for the recognition, but attributed the honor to the nursing staff.

“Today is a celebration about each one of our nurses. I hope you will pause and reflect on the incredible work that you do each day,” StaplesEvans said. “We have long prided ourselves on the level of care here, but achieving Magnet publicly recognizes the excellent patient care that is delivered by some of the best nurses in the world.”

The voluntary credentialing program for hospitals recognizes excellence in nursing and is the highest honor a healthcare organization can receive for professional nursing practice. This is

By Briana Pastorino

the first time the 371-bed hospital has received the prestigious distinction, which recognizes organizations where nursing strategic goals are aligned to improve patient outcomes. Only 9% of the more than 6,000 healthcare organizations in the United States have been evaluated as worthy of this designation.

After surveying the Medical Center April 6–8, the ANCC Commission on Magnet Recognition voted unanimously on the hospital’s designation.

While most hospitals seeking Magnet status spend 5 to 7 years doing so, the Medical Center’s application was completed in less than three years.

“In less than three years’ time, start to finish, we achieved what we set out to do. With each challenge along the way, teamwork and problem solving never wavered; with each milestone achieved, genuine joy and appreciation echoed throughout our hospital walls; and in the face of a pandemic, our nurses bonded through determination, courage, agility, and togetherness to reach the finish line. I could not be prouder of them or of this accomplishment,” Staples-Evans said.

Loma Linda University Medical Center also earned an exemplar on its appraisal, highlighting how nurses and interdisciplinary colleagues ensure that patients are seen and provided treatment that exceed the national benchmarks for all eight quarters of data submitted.

Kerry Heinrich, CEO of Loma Linda University Health hospitals, said this designation honors the entire nursing team that comes to work every day focused on doing their very best for each of their patients.

“I have personally seen the efforts our nurses demonstrate every day to meet the healthcare needs of the people of this community,” Heinrich said. “Our nurses collaborate and innovate in ways that have resulted in numerous improvements to how we deliver care and to improve patient satisfaction. It’s those efforts and so many more that proved to the Magnet evaluation team that our nurses’ professionalism and superior patient outcomes were deserving of the Magnet designation.”

Authors Devon Scott and Samantha Harris created the illustrated story that explores questions about the coronavirus pandemic with sisters Millie and Suzie. The book, Why We Stay Home, has been downloaded more than 35,000 times since its release on April 23.

“It’s a confusing time for kids,” Scott said. “They’re home with their families. They’re enjoying spending time with their siblings, but some of them don’t really know what’s going on, so we wanted to create a fun, short, sweet resource for parents to talk about what’s going on.”

The aim of the book is to help children understand the coronavirus pandemic by discussing germs and concepts such as quarantine, social distancing, and how staying at home—even if you miss your friends—can help people who have “a hard time fighting off germs,” such as grandma and grandpa.

Scott, who plans on specializing in orthopedic surgery, shared the idea with his friend and fellow medical student Samantha Harris, who is pursuing pediatrics. She loved the concept, and they agreed to write the book together. Even though they hadn’t worked on a project like this before, Samantha and Devon wrote the book, commissioned illustrations,

Medical Students Write, Publish Illustrated Coronavirus Children's Book

By Janelle Ringer

Two class of 2021 medical students from Loma Linda University School of Medicine created a book to help children understand why their worlds changed dramatically in the last few months and why it’s important to stay home during this time.

and published it on www.millieandsuzie. com, all within the span of two weeks.

Harris and Scott said they hoped the book would reach 100 families. “We’re shocked by the overwhelmingly positive response,” Scott said, saying he and Harris have received emails of praise and appreciation from around the world, including Italy, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand. The authors are currently working on translating the book into six languages, including American Sign Language.

“We want to reach families worldwide,” Scott said. “We knew cost could be a barrier for some families, so we wanted to create this free resource to help

parents explain to their children why it’s important to stay home and remind them that this won’t last forever.”