St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center snags top nursing honor

A Long Island hospital is the only one in the state to win a top honor for nursing care.

St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center in Roslyn has received a Magnet with Distinction award from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. There have been 23 recipients of the award nationwide in the past three years, center spokeswoman Claire Sabin confirmed on Thursday.

The center, which is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, certifies individual nurses in specialty practices and accredits continuing education programs for nurses as well recognizing excellence in the profession.

The Magnet with Distinction award is based on data and only a small number of hospitals are recipients. "They will serve as exemplary role models for nursing excellence and for creating an environment of care that improves patient outcomes,” the center said in a 2024 announcement about changes to the award’s criteria.

To be eligible for the honor, St. Francis had to first win a Magnet award, which it has done five times since 2006, said hospital spokeswoman Jacqueline Wong on Thursday. 

The Magnet award recognizes nursing care that positively impacts patient health and continuing education for nurses.

A sister hospital, Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, secured a Magnet award in 2021. Both are part of Catholic Health, one of region's largest health care providers.

St. Francis employs 1,179 nurses and the Magnet with Distinction award “is a reflection of [their] commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our community,” said hospital president Dr. Charles Lucore in a statement announcing the award. 

Catholic Health's Gara Edelstein, chief nursing officer, agreed, saying, “This top designation is the most recent in an impressive list of accolades that our St. Francis Hospital nurses have achieved.”

Other award recipients include the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois and Kaiser Foundation Hospital South Sacramento in South Sacramento, California, according to a listing on the credentialing center’s website.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.