Jim Fair
Members of the nursing staff at Greer Memorial Hospital celebrate earning Magnet recognition.
Jim Fair
Bonne Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer, and John Mansure, President, of Greer Memorial Hospital are prepared for a wild celebration.
Jim Fair
The clock on the back wall tells Greer Memorial Hospital nursing staff a phone call is due in two minutes to recognize the hospital as a Magnet Nursing designation.
GMH was designated Wednesday only the fourth hospital in South Carolina to earn Magnet Nursing recognition by the American Nursing Credentialing Center / Magnet Commission. The ANCC is an affiliate of the American Nurses Association.
“The Commission unanimously voted to award (GMH) as a Magnet organization,” Donna Havan, chair of the commission told a crowded conference room by conference call.
“Greer Memorial Hospital is now joining three other Magnet organizations in South Carolina and this accomplishment is testament to you’re your commitment to nursing excellence, to the entire healthcare team, and most importantly to the patients and families who use the facilities,” Havan said.
Bonne Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer, Teresa Billig, Nurse Manager/Magnet Project, and John Mansure, President, Greer Memorial Hospital Campus, attended the announcement to thank the nursing staff on its honor.
GMH is also in the top two percent of hospitals in the nation, with bed size under 100, with the Magnet designation. “And we’re the first in the Greenville Hospital System to acquire Magnet status,” Billig said.
“We’re so proud,” Johnson told Havan. “This group worked so hard and the accomplishments have been so unbelievable. Every member of our staff, the physicians and our patients go above and beyond what is asked of them.”
“We’re awesome,” came a voice from the back of the room. That was during the wild celebration that included party poppers being popped, a toast and congratulations to staff from administrators.
Among the elements of a magnet facility is the transformation from the leadership, innovation of resources and professional practices. All of the clinical data and benchmarks, plus a three-day visit by three commission members, confirmed to GMH it outperformed benchmarks for all eight quarters reported.
“Because of your dedication, taking care of your patients, for taking care of your families and taking care of each other, I think are the hallmarks that Magnet saw when they walked through the door,” Mansure said.
Johnson said the recognition goes beyond another plaque designating quality healthcare.
“Being a Magnet hospital attracts talent and staff,” Johnson said. “Because we have a good work environment, it attracts patients because they actually go online to our website and look at what (magnet) is.
“We have created a culture that it is based on patients, good outcomes and good people. That’s why we all do what we do,” Johnson said.
“It’s hard to convey how much work has been done and it’s actually the fabric the hospital takes to do this,” Mansure said. “It is the culture, it is the being of us, that makes it possible.”
Mansure made note of staff that worked at the former Allen Bennett Hospital. “You all have seen us progress and where we came from to the point where we are,” he said.
Healthcare and patient care is not a compromise, said Mansure.
“You can’t afford to not to be this way. We hold people’s lives in our hands every day,” Mansure said. “Why wouldn’t we want to be the very best at being able to do that? That’s what people expect us to be and that’s what we expect ourselves to be.”