Cornerstone Economic Development Feature Stories

Baptist Health was notified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center that it has achieved recognition as a Magnet™ Health Care System, an international quality designation enjoyed by less than five percent of hospitals in the country. Magnet status is considered the "gold standard" for nursing and clinical care.

Baptist Health is the largest health system in the country to earn Magnet status, and the only one in Northeast Florida. "Magnet Hospital" Designation Earned by Less than Five Percent of Hospitals Nationwide

The distinction comes after more than three years of extensive documentation and evaluation of Baptist Health's clinical care and work environment at its five hospitals plus Baptist Home Health Care. The American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association that awards Magnet Status, looked at nearly 100 criteria in evaluating care at Baptist.

"Magnet Recognition is the result of years of work by our nurses, physicians and staff to develop the highest standards of care, to build a culture of shared leadership, and to exemplify the role of nurses as leaders," says A. Hugh Greene, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health. "It is a tribute to each and every one of our employees, physicians, board members and volunteers who have made this achievement possible."

"Magnet status is the highest honor an organization can receive for excellence in nursing and quality patient care," says Diane Raines, RN, MSN, CNAA, BC, chief nursing officer of Baptist Health. "It not only recognizes our outstanding nurses and the care they provide, but all of our employees and the collaboration we enjoy throughout Baptist Health. Magnet status reflects the culture of caring and excellence that Baptist Health is known for in our community."

Researchers who have compared Magnet hospitals to those that haven't earned the quality status have found that Magnet hospitals enjoy better patient outcomes, including lower mortality rates, and higher patient satisfaction. Likewise, nurses at Magnet hospitals report higher morale and perceive the care being given by their institutions as better.

Studies also show that Magnet-designated hospitals outperform in recruiting and retaining nurses -- vital activities, especially given projections that the current national shortage of nurses will only get worse in the coming decade. Documentation shows that nurses at Magnet hospitals consider them good places to work. The hospitals themselves have lower staff turnover and vacancy rates, contributing to more consistent quality and performance.

A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration found that Magnet hospitals are "infused with quality care, nurse autonomy, informal and non-rigid verbal communication, innovation, bringing out the best in each individual, and striving for excellence." High-quality nursing creates a "halo" effect, as well, making a hospital more attractive to nurses' colleagues, including physicians and ancillary staff.

The rigorous process of achieving Magnet Status at Baptist Health began in 2003. A steering committee started documenting the practice of nursing throughout the hospital, focusing on 14 key nursing standards such as quality of care, planning, implementation, evaluation, education and ethics. Required documentation included descriptions of "the innovative, dynamic, excellence-focused features of the organization."

Baptist Health submitted more than 2,000 pages of documentation demonstrating achievements in patient care, nurse satisfaction, quality improvement and nursing research. The health system scored within a "range of excellence," earning a site visit from four nurse appraisers from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the Magnet Recognition Program. The appraisers conducted a comprehensive review of Baptist Medical Centers (Downtown, South, Beaches and Nassau), Wolfson Children's Hospital and Baptist Home Health Care over five days in the fall, meeting with more than 1,000 nurses, physicians, employees in other disciplines, executive leadership, community members, and board members. The team visited nursing units throughout the system and discussed Baptist Health care and nursing practice with patients, visitors, health care team members, and other employees.

For more information, please contact Baptist Health's Public Relations Department at (904) 202-4900.

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Aircraft contract official for L-3, Boeing and Alenia

The U.S. military has selected the C-27J as its newest cargo aircraft, marking a major victory for the local aviation industry. The manufacturing team, including L-3 Communication Holdings, Boeing and a subsidiary of Italian manufacturer Alenia, issued a commitment last July to build the new planes in Jacksonville if awarded the contract.

“The selection of the C-27J for the U.S. Army & Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft is an excellent moment for Alenia North America, its partners L-3 and Boeing, and the community of Jacksonville. Northeastern Florida has welcomed us with open arms and is a large part of our success. We look forward to the day the first C-27J rolls out of Cecil Field,” said Giuseppe Giordo, president & CEO, Alenia North America.

Before manufacturing of the C-27J aircraft can begin, the final contract must be signed, incentives must be agreed upon and decisions on the facility must be made. However, this announcement is a positive step in expanding the region’s existing aviation industry which has, until now, been largely dominated by maintenance and repair work.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Jacksonville to partner with a group of well-known, global companies and to continue the commercial expansion of Cecil Commerce Center,” said Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton. “It is also another great success in our ongoing redevelopment efforts. The presence of Alenia, Boeing and L-3 will serve as an attraction as we continue to target companies in the aviation and aeronautics industry.”

Jacksonville selected as IBA U.S. headquarters

The growing life sciences industry in Jacksonville received an international vote of confidence in May when Belgium-based Ion Beam Applications (IBA) selected Jacksonville as the future home of its U.S. headquarters, pending final approval of incentives by the State of Florida. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission has already approved local incentives. The IBA Group is widely acknowledged as a leader in particle therapy, a precise and effective clinical radiotherapy method in the selective destruction of cancer cells.

“We strongly considered Jacksonville as a headquarters for our proton therapy operations in the US, based on the past two years experience we have had in the area. We have been charmed by the city and its business environment,” said Vincent Collignon, project manager for IBA. “In addition, we developed an exceptional relationship with University of Florida and people from the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute (UFPTI). This is a relationship we can bank on for our R&D and marketing efforts.”

This operation will support the UFPTI in Jacksonville and the five other operational proton beam centers in the U.S. This new location will bring 20 new high-wage, high-technology jobs that will handle corporate Proton Therapy sales, purchasing, planning, training, research and development.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Jacksonville and a key achievement in Cornerstone and JEDC’s goals,” said Cornerstone Chair Hugh Greene. “Chamber Chair Steve Wallace led a small delegation from Cornerstone and JEDC to help recruit IBA to Jacksonville. The delegation’s success means IBA will use its headquarters for training and procurement, likely introducing our city to an even larger international audience.”

Jacksonville in Top 10 Best Cities for African-Americans

The May issue of Black Enterprise magazine ranked Jacksonville as one of the nation’s 10 Best Cities for African Americans, an inaugural appearance notable for surpassing past list-makers like Baltimore, Memphis, Chicago and Philadelphia.

“The positive confirmation of racial opportunity adds to the overall impact of Jacksonville’s exceptional quality of life, and demonstrates to businesses considering relocating a diverse employee base that their existing staff will be welcomed by the community,” said Cornerstone's executive director, Jerry Mallot.

Black Enterprise magazine combined qualitative survey results with a statistical analysis that examined factors including: household income, unemployment rate, business ownership, graduation rates and home ownership.