St. Joseph's University Medical Center Receives 2022 ANCC Magnet Prize®

 (PATERSON, NJ) October 14, 2022 - The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) announced that St. Joseph's University Medical Center recently received the 2022 ANCC Magnet Prize^®, sponsored by Oracle Cerner, a global health care technology company. The award was presented at the 2022 co-located ANCC National Magnet Conference^® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference^® in Philadelphia.  The award was accepted by Kevin P. Browne, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive at St. Joseph's Health.

“I am extremely proud of our nursing team and their ongoing commitment to delivering outstanding patient-centered care,” said Kevin Slavin, President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health. “The 2022 ANCC Magnet Prize demonstrates their professionalism and dedication to our patients and their families. Congratulations to the entire team on this well-deserved award.”

In addition to receiving the ANCC Magnet prize this year, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center has achieved Magnet® designation five consecutive times since 1999, as part of the ANCC Magnet® Recognition Program, Nursing’s highest honor. 

The ANCC Magnet Prize is presented to a Magnet® designated organization whose care delivery team initiative best represents exemplary achievements in patient care services, including initiatives in healthcare delivery and research leading to innovations that result in positive outcomes. St. Joseph's University Medical Center will use the $75,000 purse, sponsored by Oracle Cerner, to further develop its innovative nurse driven vascular access program. 

“Bedside subcutaneous tunneling (ST) has transformed the vascular access possibilities for acute, critical and chronically ill patients – from the micro-preemie to adults,” said Kevin P. Browne, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive, St. Joseph's Health. “The benefits have exceeded expectations and provided our patients with a favorable patient experience and positive patient outcomes.”

The medical center’s vascular access nursing team, led by an advanced practice registered nurse Matthew Ostroff, MSN, APN, VABC sought to improve the comfort and safety of long-term IV access for vulnerable patients, including high-risk neonates, children with sickle cell disease, adults with end-stage renal disease, cancer, and long-haul COVID syndromes. Their commitment and perseverance led them to developing an innovative bedside ultrasound-guided vascular access program. 

Bedside subcutaneous tunneling has resulted in a number of patient care improvements, including reduction of infection risk from catheters and the first non-central catheter to provide uninterrupted intravenous therapy to patients. The program has a measurable ROI and can be replicated at hospitals around the world. 

As technology takes on a larger role in health care, nursing skills are even more vital. Nurses are often the first face seen by patients as they walk into a practice or hospital, and nurses provide key support during the difficult moments for patients and their families,” said Liz Harvey, Chief Nursing Officer, Oracle Cerner. “Oracle Cerner congratulates St. Joseph's University Medical Center for their innovative approaches and nursing excellence.”

“St. Joseph’s University Medical Center’s vascular access nursing team exemplifies how nurses rise to the challenge in Magnet organizations by asking ‘How can we make this work for the patient?’” said Rebecca Graystone, MS, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Vice President, ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® and the Pathway to Excellence® Program. “The team’s tenacity and ingenuity has revolutionized long-term IV access for patients from the NICU to the ICU, and improved care nationwide.” 

Photo Caption:

St. Joseph's University Medical Center recently received the 2022 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Prize^®, sponsored by Oracle Cerner, a global health care technology company. The award was presented at the 2022 co-located ANCC National Magnet Conference^® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference^® in Philadelphia on October 13, 2022.  Pictured from left to right:  Deb Smith, RN, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, St. Joseph’s Health; Matthew Ostroff, APN, Vascular Access Coordinator, St. Joseph’s Health; Kevin P. Browne, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive, St. Joseph's Health; and Toni Weite, RN, Vascular Access Nurse, St. Joseph’s Health.                                                       

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH

Founded in 1867 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, St. Joseph’s Health is a world-class hospital and healthcare network supported by more than 5,000 leading and renowned physicians, nurses and care teams. From its humble beginnings, St. Joseph’s Health has become one of the premier health systems in the state, serving more than 1.5 million patients annually. The organization continues to evolve as the leading health resource in the community, the largest employer in Passaic County, and one of the largest providers of charity care in New Jersey.

The St. Joseph’s Health system is one of the leading clinical teaching and academic centers in the country, and has been recognized for its innovative programs and cutting-edge services. The health system operates a full continuum of care, including a regional tertiary care medical center (St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, Paterson), an acute care medical center (St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center, Wayne) a state-designated children’s hospital (St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Paterson), a rehabilitation and long-term care facility (St. Joseph’s Healthcare & Rehab Center, Cedar Grove), an outpatient facility featuring an urgent care, primary and specialty services (St. Joseph’s Totowa Health Campus, Totowa) comprehensive home care (Visiting Health Services of New Jersey), an urgent care in Clifton and multiple ambulatory care centers located throughout Northern New Jersey. The system is further supported by St. Joseph’s Health Medical Group, which operates more than 100 physician medical and specialty practices across northern New Jersey.

Among its awarding-winning specialties, St. Joseph’s is home to the nationally acclaimed Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO®) program; the first accredited Geriatric Emergency Department in New Jersey; and recognized by US News with a top nursing home award and a five-star rating. In addition, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center is a five-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence, the profession’s highest honor.

For more information, please visit www.stjosephshealth.org.

About the American Nurses Credentialing Center
The mission of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, is to promote excellence in nursing and health care globally through credentialing programs. ANCC's internationally renowned credentialing programs certify and recognize individual nurses in specialty practice areas. ANCC recognizes health care organizations that promote nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes while providing safe, positive work environments. In addition, ANCC accredits health care organizations that provide and approve continuing nursing education and accredits transition-to-practice programs that prepare nurses for new practice roles. For more information about ANCC, visit us at nursingworld.org/ANCC and follow us on Twitter. ANCC is the only nurse credentialing organization to successfully achieve ISO 9001: 2015 certification.

About the Magnet Recognition Program^®
The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice. Consumers rely on the Magnet® designation as the ultimate credential for high-quality nursing. Developed by ANCC, Magnet is the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide.

About the ANCC Magnet Prize®
The ANCC Board of Directors established the Magnet Prize to encourage the pursuit of excellence. The prize recognizes organizations with unique programs where innovative action transforms nursing practice. The interventions and outcomes benefit the nursing profession as a whole and have direct impact on patients in various settings. This recognition serves as a means for acknowledging peak performance within credentialed Magnet® organizations and is the highest organizational honor ANCC bestows within the Magnet community. Oracle Cerner has sponsored the award since 2007.