Hospital Earns 4th Magnet Designation, A L.I. First

Huntington Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Susan Knoepffler, RN; Director of Nursing Education Donna Tanzi, RN; and Executive Director Gerard Brogan, Jr., MD; are pictured with hospital staff.

Last week, Huntington Hospital earned the prestigious Magnet designation for the fourth time, making it the first practice to do so on Long Island.

The American Nurses’ Credentialing Center awards the “gold standard” designation to hospitals nominated for their superior professionalism, innovation, and inpatient care. Huntington Hospital is the second practice in New York and the 36th in the country to receive the designation, with only 7 percent of hospitals receiving the honor worldwide.

Susan Knoepffler, vice president of nursing at the hospital, said her staff knows exactly how imperative it is to put the patient and family at the center of their care.

“Our nurses deliver the highest standard of compassionate, patient-centered care to tens of thousands of patients every year,” she added.

The nursing department’s most recent innovation, the Nightingale Phone, was created in August 2016 and quickly became a hit with in-patients, doctors, and nurses alike.

Manager of Site Communications Stephen Smith adopted the system after realizing flaws with the call bells previously used in each room.

Using red call button on the back of a patient phone and a wireless device worn by their nurse, a faster and more direct communication between patients and their nurses became possible.

“This allows the patient to connect with the nurse no matter where they are on the unit,” Smith continued.

Northwell Health plans to roll out the new phone to more hospitals in the near future.

-WEBER