UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital earns prestigious nursing recognition for fifth time

Fort Collins hospital among elite group of 11 in world
September 21, 2018
Nurse smiles and holds on to a pom pom as a group gathers to hear the official announcement that Poudre Valley Hospital achieved Magnet status for the fifth time.
Casey Newth, a nurse in the surgical unit at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., smiles as an official from the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program announces that PVH achieved Magnet status for the fifth time. Nearly 100 nurses and hospital staff filled a conference room for the official announcement Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Photos by Kelly Tracer, UCHealth.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Sept. 21, 2018) – UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital was re-designated as a Magnet hospital Thursday, making it one of just 11 hospitals in the world to have achieved this prestigious recognition at least five times.

Two women smile proudly as they listen to remarks about Poudre Valley Hospital's latest recognition.
Jo Ann DelMonte, vice president of professional development and practice for UCHealth, and Jami Maves, a registered nurse in the post anesthesia care unit at PVH, smile as an official from the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program makes the announcement.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program® is the ultimate seal of quality and confidence. Organizations that achieve this designation are recognized for their superior nursing processes and quality patient care, which leads to the highest levels of safety, quality, and patient satisfaction.Almost 100 people filled a conference room at the hospital Thursday afternoon to personally hear the official announcement from Donna Havens, chairwoman of the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program.

“This accomplishment is a testament to your commitment for nursing excellence for the entire health care team, but most importantly, to the patients and families you serve,” Havens said during the call, which was amplified for all to hear. The announcement was followed by a roar of applause and cheers in the room.

PVH’s original designation came in 2000, making the hospital the nation’s 18th and the first in the Rocky Mountain region to receive Magnet designation. This was followed by re-designations in 2004, 2009, 2014 and this year.

Donna Poduska, chief nursing officer at PVH, said the designation provides patients with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive from a hospital. Magnet status reinforces to patients and community members that PVH is one of the nation’s top hospitals for nursing and patient care, she said.

Man's hand is shown writing a congratulatory message on a banner.
Kevin Unger, the president and CEO of PVH, writes a message on a banner to celebrate the Magnet announcement.

“Hundreds of nurses walk through these doors every day to provide extraordinary care to our patients,” said Poduska, who has been with PVH for 50 years. “This recognition is only possible because of their dedication and resolve to deliver the highest level of care in nursing.”

The Magnet model focuses on five main principles: transformational leadership; structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovations and improvements; and empirical outcomes. To achieve designation, a hospital’s priorities must align with the model and be demonstrated through metrics and measurable outcomes.

Chief nursing officer smiles and clasps hands as recognition is announced.
Donna Poduska, the chief nursing officer at PVH, is gleaming as she listens to an official announcement that PVH achieved its fifth Magnet designation.

To re-up its Magnet status again, PVH had to prove it deserved it, and this meant thousands of pages of reports, data and examples. The program demands that the hospital’s core performance measures be above national averages. It also requires that applicants focus on interactions between nurses and patients, such as pain management, safety and responsiveness. Two years of data had to show higher-than-average results, and with these results, PVH had to set new, even higher goals.

The key to PVH’s success, said Kevin Unger, the hospital’s president and CEO, is the culture. “Everyone has an important part in the process and a seat at the table. Together, we are always collaborating, problem-solving and innovating to improve care and the patient experience.”

As of Thursday afternoon, only 11 Colorado hospitals – including UCHealth’s Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland and University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora – were among the 477 hospitals across the nation that have achieved the designation.

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:

  • Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information.
  • Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue rates.
  • Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
  • Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave their positions.

This is the latest of several national recognitions for PVH. Earlier this year, PVH was recognized as a 100 Top Hospital by IBM Watson Health and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. PVH also was recognized as one of the top 10 hospitals in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report last month.

Resource services manager Victoria Vaadia, registered nurse Meghan Orr and nurse manager Jennifer Markotay sign messages on a banner to celebrate UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital’s fifth time achieving Magnet status. Nearly 100 nurses and hospital staff filled a conference room for the official announcement Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Photo by Kelly Tracer, UCHealth.

About the author

Kelly Tracer is a media relations specialist at UCHealth, based in northern Colorado. For nearly 20 years, she worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and designer before diving into the world of health care communications.

She believes there is an amazing story inside everyone and considers it an honor to get to meet and work with so many extraordinary people – patients, families, providers, volunteers and staff – every day. She is also fascinated by health care innovation and programs that empower and inspire people and families to live healthier lives.

A native of Nebraska, Kelly received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She and her husband have two children and enjoy paddle boarding all summer and skiing all winter.