Magnet

The hospital continues to maintain a number of required and voluntary accreditations. One of these programs, in particular, warrants special recognition - that of our Magnet redesignation.

In 2001, Middlesex became Connecticut's first and only Magnet hospital, a special status awarded by the American Nurses Association to recognize nursing excellence. The hospital has now received this designation for a second time.

The prestigious Magnet award is presented by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), an arm of the American Nurses Association. Magnet status is given to a hospital that demonstrates the highest levels of excellence in nursing service. It is based on 14 rigorous standards that a hospital must meet or exceed. Studies have shown that patients cared for at Magnet hospitals have better outcomes.

Magnet designation (in effect for a four-year period) has become the "gold standard" for excellence in the field of nursing, but has been elusive to many hospitals. When Middlesex Hospital received the Magnet designation in 2001, it became the 35th hospital in the country to do so. Currently, fewer than three percent of the more than 5,700 hospitals nationwide are designated as Magnet hospitals.

For more information on Magnet designation, go to www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet.