The magnet recognition program was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. It recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and quality patient care as a driving force. Organizations that are formally recognized must possess a number of specific qualities;

• Strong nursing leadership, shared organizational decision-making and effective communication;
• A model of patient care that emphasizes nursing accountability, coordination of patient care and vision of patient advocacy;
• Commitment to professional nursing “best practices” and professional growth;
• Continuous quality improvement in practice;
• Interdisciplinary relationships.

A hospital participating in an approved emergency medical system and designated by the Department to provide optimal critical and specialty care services to pediatric patients, and to provide all essential services either in-house or readily available 24 hours per day. Hospitals that are designated at the PCCC level must also meet all EDAP requirements.

Hospitals that provide care for patients requiring increasingly complex care and do operate a NICU.