Shown above, starting fifth from left, are Magnet Program Director Lauren Fleming, MA, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC; President and CEO Eric Carney; and Interim Chief Nursing Officer Kirsten Windos, MSN, RN, CPPS, CPHQ; gather with MMC Magnet Ambassadors from left Cristen Glende, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC; Marissa Caltabilota, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM; Laura Lee Manfra, BA, RN, PMH-BC; Kathleen Malouf, BS, MSN, RN, PED-BC; Elesia Grant, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC; Maeve Lynch, RN; and Mitch Moy, BSN, RN.

Long Branch, NJ, August 28, 2024 - On August 12, Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) learned it has been redesignated as a Magnet with Distinction® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), becoming the first hospital in New Jersey and the 11th in the country to earn Magnet with Distinction.

Based on validated empirical data, this new "with distinction" designation raises the bar to recognize top-tier organizations around the world that have achieved the highest level of nursing excellence. Monmouth Medical Center is the state's first hospital to achieve this elite level of performance.

In 2020, MMC was first designated by the ANCC as a Magnet Recognized organization and proudly joined the global community of organizations that hold this prestigious designation recognizing excellence in nursing practice. Achieved by fewer than 10% of U.S. hospitals, Magnet recognition is the highest and most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence.

The Chair of the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program, Sharon Pappas, RN, PhD, NEA-BC, announced that in addition to the Magnet with Distinction honor, MMC received eight exemplars based on components of the Magnet Model.

"Commissioner Pappas noted that this across-the-board recognition of our excellence - an increase in the outstanding seven exemplars we received in 2020 - places us in rarefied air," said Eric Carney, President and CEO of MMC and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood. "This could not have been achieved without the amazing teamwork of our nursing staff, and the integral support of our Medical Staff and Boards of Trustees. Our Magnet with Distinction recognition enables us to stand among role model organizations nationwide for nursing excellence, while creating an environment of care that improves patient outcomes."

"Magnet recognition is the gold standard, and is a true validation of the highest standard of care," added Chief Nursing Officer Ann Szapor. "It is truly across the board recognition of the outstanding work done by our nurses, who work with the entire hospital team to ensure that the best care possible is delivered to every patient, every day, and around the clock."

"On behalf of nursing leadership, we are thrilled to receive this important recognition at Monmouth Medical Center," said Nancy Holecek, MAS, MHA, BSN, RN, FNAP, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. "This outstanding re-designation is a testament to the dedication of our nurses and their commitment to providing top-quality patient care. We will continue to strive for innovation and excellence in everything we do, ensuring that our patients receive the best care possible."

Learn more about Nursing at Monmouth Medical Center.

About Monmouth Medical Center

Monmouth Medical Center (MMC), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, along with The Unterberg Children's Hospital, is a regional teaching campus for Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As the first hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties, MMC offers the most experienced surgeons in robotics and other minimally invasive procedures as well as bariatric and joint and spine surgery. MMC delivers more babies annually than all other hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined. The hospital offers access to the region's top cardiologists and the award-winning, nationally recognized RWJBarnabas Heart Centers. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has conferred Magnet® recognition for MMC, one of just 509 U.S. health care organizations out of more than 6,300 U.S. hospitals to achieve Magnet recognition. MMC has received more "A" Hospital Safety Scores from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization, than any other hospital in the region. The hospital has also been named a Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital three times. MMC is one of just 414 of the more than 6,000 hospital hospitals in the U.S. named to Newsweek's Global Best Hospitals' list for two consecutive years, and one of 148 U.S. hospitals named to the digital platform Money's inaugural list of the Best Hospitals in America. Additionally, it is one of 34 U.S. hospitals honored by the Emergency Nurses Association with the 2022-2025 Lantern Award for excellence in emergency care, and for the eighth consecutive year, was honored by Healthgrades with the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Labor and Delivery Excellence Awards. U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has recognized MMC among the 2023-2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, which identifies hospitals that provide high-quality maternity care for uncomplicated pregnancies. RWJBarnabas Health and MMC, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside patients, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.

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 statistics, visit www.nursingworld.org/magnet.

CONTACT: Kathy Horan
(732) 546-6317
[email protected]