The American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program has awarded the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) its prestigious Magnet designation.

The Magnet program recognises nursing excellence "in the delivery of care to patients, promoting quality health care services in an environment that supports professional nursing practice, and providing a mechanism for the dissemination of best practices in nursing services." 

AUBMC is the first healthcare institution in the Middle East and the third in the world outside the US to receive this award. Magnet recognised organisations set the global standard for professional nursing care and innovative health care reform that fully meet the needs of patients, families, and communities, said a statement. Only five percent of all US hospitals are Magnet recognized.

"This is an extraordinary achievement that attests to the dramatic changes that have taken place at the AUB Medical Center in recent years, particularly related to nursing services," said VP for medical affairs Raja N Khuri and dean of the faculty of medicine Nadim Cortas.

"Having Magnet status recognizes the first rate care we provide our patients today and is a sign of our dedication to offer the best nursing services in the region in the future."

Assistant hospital director for patient care services Gladys Mouro, who spearheaded the six-year effort to secure Magnet recognition explains: "I decided to embark on the Magnet journey the moment I recognised that it would raise the bar of quality to a level of excellence for our patients who deserve the very best."

The decision to apply for Magnet status in 2003 marked both the culmination of a long process to rebuild nursing services at the hospital after the 15-year Lebanese civil war and the beginning of an ambitious campaign to transform the practice of nursing at AUBMC and to set new nursing standards for the region. 

President Peter Dorman congratulated the entire AUBMC team for "their dedication and commitment to care for the people of Lebanon and the region." - TradeArabia News Service