Page 11 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_September-2018

At the Hospitals
n Atrium Health Teams Achieve
Magnet® Recognition for Excellent
Nursing Care
After months of hard work — and years of
dedication to the highest standards of nursing
— the teams at Atrium Health’s Carolinas
Medical Center and its outpatient clinics, Levine
Children’s Hospital and Levine Cancer Institute–
Charlotte, received news they had attained
re-designation from The American Nurses
Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition
Program®. Additionally, the nursing team at
Carolinas Medical Center–Mercy received its
first designation.
The Magnet program distinguishes healthcare
organizations that meet rigorous standards for
nursing excellence. This credential is the highest
national honor for professional nursing practice.
Only the top 8 percent, or 475 of the more
than 6,000 U.S. healthcare organizations, have
received the credential.
“This achievement recognizes the high
standards of professional practice exhibited by
our nurses every day,” says Robert Rose, MS,
RN, NEA-BC, vice president and chief nurse
executive of Atrium Health’s Central Division,
which includes Carolinas Medical Center,
Levine Children’s Hospital, Levine Cancer
Institute-Charlotte and Carolinas Medical
Center–Mercy. “Our repeated achievement of
this credential underscores the foundation of
excellence and values that drive our entire staff
to strive harder each day to meet the healthcare
needs of the people we serve.”
To achieve initial Magnet recognition,
organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy
process that demands widespread participation
from leadership and staff. This process includes
an electronic application, written patient care
documentation, an on-site visit and a review
by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.
Healthcare organizations must reapply for Magnet
recognition every four years. When applying, an
organization must provide documented evidence
to demonstrate how staff members sustained
and improved Magnet concepts, performance
and quality over the four-year period since the
organization received its initial recognition.
According to a study in the Journal of
Quality Nursing Care, Magnet-recognized
organizations employ the best-trained and
most-qualified nurses. The 2008 study found
that job satisfaction, employee retention and
patient satisfaction are higher at Magnet-
recognized organizations.
n Computerworld Announces Atrium
Health as Best Place to Work in IT
For the sixth year, IDG’s Computerworld has
ranked Atrium Health as one of the best places
to work for IT professionals. The Best Places
to Work in IT program began in 1994, and
each year, 100 organizations receive the honor.
Atrium Health was the only healthcare system
in North Carolina to be listed.
The Best Places to Work in IT list is an annual
ranking of the top 100 work environments for
technology professionals by Computerworld.
The list is compiled based on a comprehensive
questionnaire regarding company offerings in
categories such as benefits, career development,
training and retention. In addition,
Computerworld conducts extensive surveys of
lT workers, and their responses factor heavily
in determining the rankings.
“Our 1,000 teammates may not have direct
contact with our patients, but they can see
through their work how they are helping to
improve patients’ lives by giving them access to
care where they need it,” says Jonathan Bowers,
interim chief information and analytics officer for
Atrium Health. “Our team is constantly pushing
our technology to be the most effective and
accessible at our facilities and for our patients. We
couldn’t do that without the great team we have.”
“Computerworld’s 2018 Best Places to Work
in IT list illustrates that the companies that offer
the best working environments aren’t satisfied
with rolling out one or two initiatives,” says Ken
Mingis, Computerworld executive editor. “They
seek an edge in the talent marketplace through
a combination of good salaries, great benefits,
ready access to training, and the deployment
of cutting-edge technologies. They recognize
that the top tech talent easily can move to the
organization that respects them best, and they
are determined to be that organization.”
n Poison Control Launches Chat Service
The North Carolina Poison Control Center
now offers people who suspect a poisoning
another method to contact a poison expert —
online chat.
Mecklenburg Medicine • September 2018 | 11
How does the chat service work?
Those who prefer to connect online instead
of by phone may visit Carolinas Poison Center’s
website, www.NCPoisonCenter.org, and click
the red Chat circle to get started. From there,
people are quickly connected to a nurse or
pharmacist who provides on-the-spot care and
advice. In fact, two out of every three cases can
be handled right at the site of the chat or call.
When is the chat service available and who can
use it?
The chat service is available 24/7 and can be
used to help people of all ages.
Does the chat service provide the same support
as reaching an expert by phone?
Absolutely. The same nurses and pharmacists
who answer the phones also answer the chats.
In addition, the center is staffed with medical
and clinical toxicologists who provide back-up
for complex cases.
Is the chat service confidential? Anonymous?
Yes. Your conversation always is confidential,
whether you use the chat service (www.
NCPoisonCenter.org) or call by phone (1-800-
222-1222).
Why did the NC Poison Center add a chat option?
The new chat service is designed to
complement the phone number contact method
by offering the convenience and flexibility of
online chat, should that be a preferred method
of communication.
When should you contact the North Carolina
Poison Control Center?
If you think it’s a poisoning, contact
Carolinas Poison Control first to reach a nurse
or pharmacist who can give you immediate
treatment advice. Poison Control services are
available to both clinicians and the public.
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