The Commission on Magnet Programs recognizes health care organizations for their excellence in nursing service.  To date, less than two percent of the nation’s 6,000 hospitals have been named Magnet facilities.  Catawba Valley Medical Center has earned not one, but three consecutive Magnet designations since 2001.

The Magnet Hospital designation, bestowed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes nursing programs that provide high quality patient care in an environment that encourages continuous staff development, nursing leadership and community involvement.  Research shows that Magnet hospitals are not only more effective at attracting and keeping quality nurses, but patients there have lower mortality rates and shorter lengths of stay than at non-Magnet hospitals.

At CVMC we believe our Magnet status is a direct result of our fundamental commitment to the highest quality care possible – through exceptional staff, advanced technologies and leading edge practices – for the communities we serve.

“I’ve been on the orthopedic floor for five years, and I love it here. The atmosphere and the people are just so different from other medical facilities where I’ve worked. And our patients are so appreciative of everything we do for them.

One of the things that makes it different for me is the nurse autonomy. As a nurse, you can do a lot of things here. You can spread your wings and go any way you want, and there’s always a step up that you can take here as well.

I’m currently participating in the Leadership Test Drive, which is for rising leaders in the nursing profession who would like to consider some of the different jobs available to us. We shadow different people, and we get a little bit of insight into what they do and what they experience throughout the day. It’s part of our professional growth and development program, and one of the reasons our hospital received Magnet designation for the third time.

The people I followed were at the management or leadership level at the medical center, and many of them still have a lot of hands-on involvement with patient care. It showed me that while our leadership may have other responsibilities, they still put patient care first. That’s important for our community.”
-Kelly Yang, BSN, RN
Ortho Neuro Unit