24 June 2009

BEIRUT/NEW YORK: The American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program awarded the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) its prestigious Magnet designation on June 23, according to a statement released by the university on Thursday.

The Magnet program recognizes nursing excellence "in the delivery of care to patients, promoting quality health care services in an environment that supports professional nursing practice, and providing a mechanism for the dissemination of best practices in nursing services," according to the university statement.

AUBMC is the first healthcare institution in the Middle East and the third in the world outside the United States to receive this award. Magnet recognized organizations set the global standard for professional nursing care and innovative health care reform that fully meet the needs of patients, families, and communities.

Only five percent of all US hospitals are Magnet recognized, including prestigious hospitals, such as, Cedar Sinai Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

"This is an extraordinary achievement that attests to the dramatic changes that have taken place at the AUB Medical Center in recent years, particularly related to nursing services," said VP for Medical Affairs and Raja N. Khuri Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Nadim Cortas. "Having Magnet status recognizes the first-rate care we provide our patients today and is a sign of our dedication to offer the best nursing services in the region in the future."

Assistant hospital director for patient care services, Gladys Mouro, who spearheaded the six-year effort to secure Magnet recognition explains, "I decided to embark on the Magnet journey the moment I recognized that it would raise the bar of quality to a level of excellence for our patients who deserve the very best."

The decision to apply for Magnet status in 2003 marked both the culmination of a long process to rebuild nursing services at the hospital after the 15-year Lebanese Civil War and the beginning of an ambitious campaign to transform the practice of nursing at AUBMC and to set new nursing standards for the region.

President Peter Dorman congratulated vice president Nadim Cortas, assistant hospital director Gladys Mouro, and the entire AUBMC team for "their dedication and commitment to care for the people of Lebanon and the region."

During the six-year Magnet application process, Mouro and her colleagues introduced comprehensive changes to improve nursing practice at the Medical Center that were confirmed by a team of three appraisers from the US-based ANCC in April 2009. "I think the appraisers were impressed - even surprised - by what they saw and heard from our patients and also the physicians," reports Mouro.

In his remarks, AUBMC director Munthir Kuzayli noted that the Magnet journey had been a team effort.

"The hard work and deep commitment of the nursing leadership and the nursing staff at large, as well as the serious and ongoing support of the Medical Center leadership and community converged positively toward Magnet recognition of AUBMC. We will build on this success in the years to come," Kuzayli said.

Mouro echoed his comments and noted: "We would not have succeeded without the serious and tireless efforts of so many people at this institution. That's what we do at AUBMC. We strive for the impossible and make it happen. That's what makes this place unique." - The Daily Star

Copyright The Daily Star 2009.