Magnet Designation Announcement Call


Franklin Square Hospital Center has achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®.

“This is one of the highest levels of recognition a hospital can earn and a tremendous achievement for Franklin Square,” says Carl Schindelar, President of Franklin Square. “We’ve always been proud of the excellence work our nurses do each day and of the commitment of our entire staff to serve as a team, providing the highest quality care possible to our community. We’re honored to receive this national recognition.”

“Our nurses are truly a strength of the Square,” adds Larry Strassner, RN, MS, NEA-BC, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “But they didn’t achieve this honor alone. It’s the teamwork and collegial relationships of the entire hospital that together drive excellent quality patient outcomes and the creation of a professional work environment that retains excellent staff and draws others to be part of this organization.”

Their words echo those at of Gail Wolf, DSN, RN, FAAN, Chairperson of the Commission on the Magnet Recognition Program®, who in announcing the Commission’s unanimous decision to grant Franklin Square Magnet Designation, noted that Magnet is not just a nursing award—it takes the level of support that Franklin Square has and a truly collaborative effort on the part of the entire hospital to achieve Magnet.

The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services. Applicant hospitals undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes written documentation of 14 specific areas of nursing practice, called “Forces of Magnetism,” as well as extensive interviews and on-site review of nursing services.

Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that are awarded Magnet status and to the communities they serve:
- Healthcare consumers have more confidence in the overall quality of a Magnet hospital.
- Magnet facilities consistently outperform others in recruiting and retaining nurses, resulting in increased stability in patient care and patient satisfaction
- Because quality nursing helps enlist high caliber physicians and specialists, Magnet status becomes an attractive force that extends to the entire facility.

Franklin Square’s official Magnet designation took nearly three decades to come full circle. “While the formal submission process took about three years, our journey toward Magnet actually goes back to the early 80’s,” explains Kathy Sabatier MS, RN-BC, Franklin Square’s Magnet Coordinator. “In 1981, Franklin Square Hospital Center was one of just 41 U.S. hospitals identified as having the characteristics of magnetism in a study by the American Academy of Nursing.* It’s exciting to have recaptured that initial spirit and to have become the first “reputational magnet” hospital in Maryland to earn Magnet Designation.”

Today, the ANCC is the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the United States. Out of more than 5000 U.S. hospitals, just five percent have achieved Magnet Designation. Franklin Square Hospital Center is now the third Magnet hospital among Maryland’s 67 hospitals. The designation is valid for four years.

“As we celebrate this prestigious achievement, we will continue to put our patients and families first, drive toward excellent patient outcomes, service and patient safety, challenge each other to work collaboratively, grow professionally, think outside the box and be creative and innovative and always value, respect, care and treat each other like a family,” says Strassner. “In other words, we will continue to live the Magnet Forces.”

* McClure ML, Poulin MA, Sovie MD, Wandelt MA. Magnet Hospitals: Attraction and Retention of Professional Nurses. Washington, DC: American Nurses' Association, American Academy of Nursing; 1983.