Combination of Magnet Pathway nursing excellence designations for all Baptist Health hospitals sets system apart internationally

July 18, 2018

With Baptist Health Floyd earning a Pathway to Excellence® (Pathway) designation, Baptist Health becomes the only health system worldwide to currently have all of its affiliated hospitals holding a designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with a combination of either Pathway to Excellence® or Magnet Recognition Program®.

LOUISVILLE, KY (July 18, 2018) – With Baptist Health Floyd earning a Pathway to Excellence® (Pathway) designation, Baptist Health becomes the only health system worldwide to currently have all of its affiliated hospitals holding a designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with a combination of either Pathway to Excellence® or Magnet Recognition Program®.

 In 2014, Baptist Health’s chief nursing officers set a goal for all owned and managed hospitals to achieve Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence or the Pathway to Excellence designation, both issued by the ANCC. “Magnet and Pathway are distinct programs with a complementary focus,” said Christine Pabico, RN, MSN, NE-BC, director of the Pathway program, “providing frameworks to support professional nursing practice and environments that foster excellence in nursing care delivery.”

 “Magnet and Pathway designations indicate our hospitals are the best places for nurses to work,” said Gerard Colman, Baptist Health CEO. “These designations reflect a Baptist Health culture that supports nurses in providing the highest quality patient care.”

“It's through the collaborative efforts of all our employees that our nurses are enabled to give such exceptional patient care,” said Karen Hill, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Lexington. ”The designations recognize quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice.”

“Recognition from the ANCC’s Magnet and Pathway programs represent a significant commitment from Baptist Health to achieve the highest voluntary standards for nursing excellence globally,” said Jeffrey Doucette, DNP, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, CENP, LNHA, vice president for the Magnet Recognition Program and Pathway to Excellence at the ANCC. “We are delighted to congratulate Baptist Health for achieving designation at all of its acute care facilities.”

Baptist Health Floyd is one of five hospitals in Indiana to receive the Pathway designation and one of 167 internationally. ANCC’s Pathway to Excellence is known as the premiere designation for positive practice environments that empower and engage nurses. Only seven hospitals in Kentucky have received the designation, including Baptist Health Corbin, Baptist Health La Grange, Baptist Health Madisonville, Baptist Health Paducah, Baptist Health Richmond, and Hardin Memorial Health, Baptist Health’s managed hospital, which is set to become a part of the Baptist Health family later this year.

Baptist Health Louisville and Baptist Health Lexington have each achieved Magnet recognition – three times for the Lexington hospital and twice for Louisville. The Magnet designation is considered the gold standard in nursing excellence. Out of thousands of hospitals worldwide, only 468 have received the Magnet designation, with just six in Kentucky.

To earn an ANCC designation, an organization undergoes rigorous and voluntary evaluation of how it meets specific standards in key areas.

According to the ANCC, designated hospitals demonstrate improved patient care, safety and satisfaction. They also experience increased nursing job satisfaction rates, recruitment and retention.