The gold standard of nursing excellence

The American Nurses Credentialing Center announced that the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center is the fifth Kaiser Permanente facility in Southern California to be honored with a Magnet designation.

Nurses at West Los Angeles Medical Center demonstrated excellence, leadership, and innovation in achieving this recognition. Currently, only 9% of hospitals out of nearly 6,200 nationwide have achieved ANCC Magnet Recognition status.

Leading in excellence

With this credential, West Los Angeles Medical Center has joined a global community of Magnet-recognized organizations. The Magnet program is recognized as the gold standard of nursing excellence. 

"Magnet recognition reflects our nurses' commitment to delivering extraordinary care to our members while transforming the lives of people in the communities we are privileged to serve," said Lilit Zibari, RN, senior vice president, and area manager for Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles service area, who holds a Master of Science in nursing. "As a former neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric nurse, I am proud to witness this momentous occasion that recognizes our nursing staff and leaders for their incredible work, especially as they navigated our Magnet journey during a global pandemic."

Journey to Magnet

The journey to Magnet began in 2020 for the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. To achieve Magnet recognition, the medical center had to demonstrate commendable patient outcomes and satisfaction and undergo an extensive process that demanded widespread participation from leadership, nursing teams, and clinical staff.

"A Magnet hospital is distinguished by its 'magnetic' culture where nurses and clinical staff collaborate within an environment that fosters creative ideas, professional development, and evidence-based practices," said Michelle Hook, RN, chief nursing executive for West Los Angeles Medical Center, who holds a Master of Science in nursing. "I am honored and grateful to be part of such a dynamic team, and I look forward to achieving many more milestones together."

A grand recognition

Julie Miller-Phipps, regional president for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and Hawaii Health Plan and Hospitals, was at the West Los Angeles Medical Center when ANCC announced the achievement and expressed her gratitude for each person's role in achieving this award.

Miller-Phipps shared, "Magnet is such a reflection of a total hospital effort to achieve good and to sustain greatness. Our people are capable of that and showed it by achieving Magnet designation. I cannot be prouder of you. You have shown the world what you can do and how you are caring for patients and caring for each other. The world should take notice of that."

The West Los Angeles Medical Center outranks national benchmarks in patient satisfaction surveys for patient education, patient-centered care, responsiveness to nurse calls, and safety, as well as in nurse satisfaction surveys in many areas, including autonomy, professional development, and leadership access, and the quality of nursing care.