UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies was re-designated as an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet hospital in October 2025, having achieved this prestigious recognition four consecutive times.
The distinction is held by fewer than 10% of hospitals in the United States. Confetti and cheers erupted as David Marshall, chair of the ANCC Commission on Magnet Recognition, announced they had voted unanimously to credential MCR as a Magnet organization for the fourth time.
The Magnet Recognition Program is considered the gold standard for nursing excellence and quality patient care. To earn the designation, hospitals must undergo a rigorous evaluation process and demonstrate superior outcomes in patient care, nursing satisfaction, and clinical performance.
Marshall recognized the MCR team with exemplars for which the hospital outperforms national benchmarks, among them:
- Infection prevention and patient safety across all inpatient units
- Patient experience, particularly in education and safety
- Higher education, with 83% of MCR’s registered nurses holding a bachelor’s degree or higher
Following the announcement, MCR Chief Nursing Officer Jessie Willard congratulated the crowd.
“We can’t do what we do to provide patient care without every single person in this hospital,” he said.
MCR’s third Magnet designation arrived in January 2021, when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions limited the in-person celebration to a few masked leaders and staff in a boardroom. Willard said that in the past four years, it can be easy to forget “all of the amazing things that happened.”
Those include staff providing excellent care through numerous pandemic surges, ongoing spatial and throughput challenges, and constant community growth. In addition, MCR expanded critical care access, achieved its Level I Trauma Center Designation and launched the interventional program for thrombectomy stroke care.
“You continue to lead and persevere during ongoing construction and renovation projects, as we anticipate opening the inpatient pavilion next year,” Willard said. “Even though change has been constant, your resilience and grit has never wavered.”
MCR first achieved Magnet designation in 2010. This was followed by re-designations in 2016, 2021 and Oct. 27, 2025.
Currently, 18 Colorado hospitals – including four at UCHealth – have achieved Magnet designation. UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital received six designations, most recently in 2023. UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital also received six designations, most recently in January 2025. And UCHealth Memorial Hospital received its first designation in 2023.
The visual companion to our 2026 Nursing Year in Review showcases the print edition’s visual storytelling with connections to all of the articles.