Coveted Designation Recognizes Superior Nursing Services and Care

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital has been awarded Magnet recognition status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hospital officials announced.

West Penn Hospital is the first and only hospital in western Pennsylvania to receive this prestigious designation and is now among the top 3 percent of all healthcare facilities in the world recognized by the ANCC for excellence in nursing and quality patient care.

“I am extremely proud that West Penn Hospital has achieved this honor,” said Mark Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital. “As the only hospital in western Pennsylvania to receive Magnet status, West Penn has once again set itself apart as an institution that exceeds the highest standards for quality care.”

The Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the ANCC to recognize health care organizations that provide not only excellence in nursing, but also the highest quality of patient care at all levels throughout the hospital. A Magnet hospital attracts and retains professional nurses who experience a high degree of professional and personal satisfaction in their practice.

“Being recognized among the world’s most elite hospitals is truly a tremendous honor, and the journey to achieve such designation required the efforts of our nurses as well as all of our employees, physicians, students and volunteers at West Penn,” said Sherry Zisk, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital.

Magnet hospitals exhibit improved patient outcomes, enhanced nursing practice, increased staff morale and improved recruitment and retention. The Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive.

“I would like to congratulate the leadership, nurses, medical staff and employees of West Penn Hospital on this remarkable achievement,” said Jerry Fedele, President and Chief Executive Officer, West Penn Allegheny Health System. “Attaining Magnet status is another example of how both West Penn Hospital and West Penn Allegheny Health System are distinguished by excellence.”

West Penn Hospital began its journey toward Magnet recognition three years ago and, since then, hundreds of nurses and employees from many other departments have worked diligently to demonstrate the high standards associated with Magnet status.

“This designation by the ANCC recognizes the total commitment to patient care exhibited by the nurses and physicians of West Penn Hospital,” said John Guehl, D.O., President, The Medical Staff, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital. “It is a pleasure, a privilege and an honor to be part of such an outstanding team of health professionals.”

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is an academic medical center with two hospital campuses that serve Pittsburgh and the surrounding five-state area. Comprised of 512 beds, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh annually admits more than 20,400 patients, logs more than 30,000 emergency visits, and performs approximately 14,000 surgical procedures.

Part of West Penn Allegheny Health System, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital has earned an international reputation for excellence and innovation in patient care, research and education. A leader in the education of healthcare professionals, West Penn Hospital provides clinical training to medical students of the Philadelphia-based Temple University School of Medicine and offers a diploma program through its School of Nursing.