Rush Copley Medical Center Achieves its Second, Magnet with Distinction

Magnet recognition is the highest national honor for nursing excellence
Copley Nursing Magnet

Rush Copley Medical Center achieved Magnet with Distinction recognition in September. This honor is a testament to Rush’s continued dedication to a high-quality nursing practice.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet with Distinction Recognition Program distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is a prestigious national honor for professional nursing practice. Magnet with Distinction acknowledges top tier organizations that exceed the scoring thresholds required to attain Magnet designation. The ANCC first introduced Magnet with Distinction in fall of 2023 and Rush Copley is the first hospital within the Rush System to achieve this status.

“Magnet with Distinction recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our continued commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our community,” said Abby Hornbogen, DNP, MBA, MS, RN, vice president, Patient Care and chief nursing officer at Rush Copley.

“To earn this recognition, nursing staff not only met the standards but exceeded the rigorous standard for nursing excellence. This is a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses. Our repeated achievement of this honor underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drive our entire staff to best  meet the health care needs of the people we serve.”

Magnet with Distinction is an elite credential of nursing quality and confidence. For patients, this credential identifies organizations with satisfied nurses and safe, high-quality care.

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, American Nurses Credentialing Center evaluates applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence.

The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership, coordination and collaboration across specialties. Additionally, it includes processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care. 

Rush Copley received seven exemplars, or examples of best practices in both inpatient and ambulatory areas. These exemplars highlighted excellence in nurse-driven quality metrics and patient experience, reflecting the exceptional care delivered to Rush Copley patients.

To achieve Magnet with Distinction recognition, organizations must pass a thorough and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes a rigorous peer review of electronic applications, written documents, and an on-site visit, ending with a review and confirmation by the Commission on Magnet.

Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet with Distinction status every four years based on adherence to Magnet with Distinction concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. An organization reapplying for Magnet with Distinction recognition must provide documented evidence to demonstrate how staff members sustained and improved Magnet with Distinction concepts, performance, and quality over the four-year period since the organization received its previous recognition. Rush Copley first achieved Magnet status in 2020.

“Achieving this recognition reaffirms Rush Copley’s pursuit of excellence in nursing practice,” said John Diederich, president and CEO, Rush Copley Medical Center. “This prestigious honor from the American Nurses Credentialing Center serves as a validation of our unwavering dedication to providing the highest quality of care to our patients, reflecting our commitment to advancing professional nursing standards on a national level. It is this commitment that helped us achieve Magnet with Distinction.”

About Rush Copley Medical Center

Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois, is a 210-bed hospital that serves the greater Fox Valley area with more than 500 physicians and 2,500 clinical and professional staff members. Rush Copley is part of Rush University System for Health, an academic health system whose mission is to improve the health of the individuals and the diverse communities it serves through the integration of outstanding patient care, education, research and community partnerships. Rush comprises Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital, Rush Health, as well as numerous outpatient care facilities. Rush University, with more than 2,500 students, is a health sciences university that comprises Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College.

About ANCC’s Magnet with Distinction Recognition Program  

The Magnet with Distinction Recognition Program — administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world — identifies health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. 

The Magnet with Distinction Recognition Program serves as a prestigious credential for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet with Distinction Recognition Program and current statistic

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