Magnet with Distinction™ recognizes hospitals based on quality patient care and nursing excellence. Fewer than 8% of hospitals in the U.S. have earned Magnet with Distinction status. Additionally, the Magnet with Distinction™ program was created as a special designation to "celebrate hospitals and health care organizations that exceed scoring thresholds required to earn Magnet designation."

Receiving the “Magnet with Distinction” honor is even more impressive in the following ways:

• OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of only 47 hospitals internationally to have earned the "Magnet with Distinction" honor to recognize an "elite level" of performance, according to the ANCC.
   
• OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of only seven hospitals in Illinois to receive “Magnet with Distinction” status, and the only hospital south of Champaign-Urbana to receive this specific designation.
   
• OSF Saint Anthony’s is the only hospital in the greater St. Louis metro area on both sides of the Mississippi River to receive “Magnet with Distinction” status. 

The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing philosophy and practice, leadership and adherence to national standards for improving patient care. Hospitals undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and review of nursing services, clinical outcomes and patient care. 

OSF Saint Anthony’s was lauded as an exemplar in 14 distinct areas of care as being documented by outpacing national standards in the following: 

• Nursing satisfaction from employee satisfaction survey scores
   
• Inpatient nurse sensitive indicators for falls with injury
   
• Inpatient nurse sensitive indicators for hospital-acquired injuries
   
• Inpatient nurse sensitive indicators for catheter associated urinary tract infections
   
• Inpatient nurse sensitive indicators for central line associate blood infection
   
• Ambulatory nurse sensitive quality indicators for emergency department time from arrival to departure
   
• Ambulatory nurse sensitive quality indicators for emergency department to transfer of behavioral health patients
   
• Inpatient patient experience scores for careful listening
   
• Inpatient patient experience scores for patient education
   
• Inpatient patient experience scores for responsiveness
   
• Inpatient patient experience scores for safety
   
• Ambulatory care patient experience scores for pain
   
• Ambulatory care patient experience scores for patient education
   
• Ambulatory care patient experience scores for safety

“We went well above, and we’re raising the bar,” says Charlotte R. Liley, DNP, CNL, director of professional practice and nursing operations. “We couldn't do this without all of the nursing staff being on board and being involved in the care of our patients.” 

Liley credits the hospital’s “professional practice model” and “transformational leadership” as two reasons why this status was achieved. 

Nurses at OSF St. Anthony’s can “practice at the top of their license,” added Lisa Schepers, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. Schepers notes that while Mission Partners (i.e. employees) are celebrating this milestone achievement, they are also already looking ahead to the next application window to maintain the “Magnet with Distinction” status. 

“As soon as you get the designation, the clock starts for your next one,” Schepers says. “It’s every four years. You don’t just get it and keep it. Every four years, we will have to meet the same criteria, and then they do change the criteria. We’re already looking at, what are we doing now, what do we need to add, what do we need to shore up so that we can continue this road?” 

Schepers adds that this recognition should mean a lot to the Riverbend region, as residents can trust OSF St. Anthony’s to take care of them. “Riverbend residents should feel amazing and proud that OSF Saint Anthony’s represents them in their community. Also, they should feel secure in the knowledge that when they come to OSF St. Anthony’s, they are going to get the highest level of care. Their outcomes are going to be better because the nurses are so engaged, and the nurses have demonstrated this high level of performance.” 

The decision to seek and begin work on achieving Magnet status began in 2022. OSF Saint Anthony’s recognition ensures Magnet designation through 2029.

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As CNE, Cooling will provide strategic direction aligned to the future development of nursing and advanced practice within health care transformation, overseeing nursing and advanced practice providers (APP) across all clinical areas. Additionally, Cooling will be accountable for the executive leadership and strategy for the College of Health Sciences and the Nursing Innovation Hub.

Cooling has served OSF HealthCare since 1997, most recently as senior vice president of Advanced Practice, chief clinician executive of OSF OnCall and interim president, College of Health Sciences.

Cooling earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois College of Nursing in Peoria. Additionally, she earned a Master of Business Administration from Baker College in Flint, Michigan, and a Doctor of Nursing from the University of Illinois College of Nursing in Chicago.

Lori Wiegand, DNP, chief nursing officer, will retire in May after 32 years with OSF HealthCare. She began her career with OSF in 1993 as a student nurse extern at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, later becoming one of the first 6 Sigma Black Belts in the Ministry and the first Nursing Master Black Belt at OSF Saint Francis. Wiegand was named vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for OSF Saint Francis in 2008 and then was named chief nursing officer for the Ministry in 2013.

As chief nursing officer, Wiegand worked with facility chief nursing officers on innovative solutions such as implementation of robust nursing recruitment and retention strategies inclusive of the first nursing career ladder program; Precision Staffing technology; clinical resource team for nursing resources across the Ministry; and patient flow strategies including the design of the OSF CareHub. In addition, Wiegand championed the development of educational frameworks for the OSF Corporate University and the College of Health Sciences 
which will continue the commitment and investment in current and future Mission Partners.

“Our fourth Magnet designation is confirmation of the outstanding care OSF St. Joseph nurses provide to our patients,” says Lisa Pittman, chief nursing officer. “Our nurses continue to exceed national benchmarks in quality and safety. This designation recognizes our continual actions to advance nursing care through leadership, innovation, clinical excellence and research.”

The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards Magnet Recognition, the highest distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and high-quality patient care. OSF St. Joseph has earned Magnet designation since 2008. Only 8% of U.S. hospitals earn this honor, and only 2% have reached the honor four times in a row.

The ANCC looks for evidence of excellence in the following areas: transformational leadership, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovations and improvements, and more. This process was rigorous and thorough for all involved — from bedside nurse clinicians to department leaders, the executive team, and board of directors’ members.

Hospitals must reapply for the status every four years, with each facility providing evidence of excellence and undergoing a site visit that verifies all documentation, nursing satisfaction, and engagement. Pittman notes that OSF St. Joseph invests in the re-designation because it keeps the hospital on a trajectory of excellence.

OSF HealthCare and Monmouth College have established the Monmouth College - OSF 3+1 nursing program. Upon approval of accrediting agencies, students will complete a degree from Monmouth College in either biology, biopsychology or health science and human movement in three years. In the fourth year, students will complete the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing’s one-year accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, all on the Monmouth College campus.

“Monmouth College is proud and excited to work with OSF HealthCare and the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing to establish this innovative 3+1 nursing education program,” said Dr. Clarence R. Wyatt, President of Monmouth College.  “Our collaboration puts Monmouth College and OSF HealthCare on the forefront of the sort of collaborations that higher education can and should pursue.  By better serving the aspirations of our students and educating desperately needed health care professionals, Monmouth College, OSF HealthCare, and the Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing are contributing to the quality of life of communities throughout our region and state and will do so for many years to come.”

Participants in the innovative program will experience the combination of an exceptional residential liberal arts and sciences college and a high-quality college of nursing.

This program brings together two of the region’s strongest organizations to provide opportunities for students and to address the critical shortage of nurses.

Graduates of the Monmouth College-OSF nursing program will complete two degrees in four years and be ready to pursue their careers in health care and serve a vital need in the region.

To celebrate this occasion, Monmouth College and OSF HealthCare hosted a ceremony announcing the cooperative program on May 9 in the Mellinger Commons of the Center for Science and Business on the Monmouth College campus.

The success of the OSF OnCall Digital Hospital in Peoria has paved the way for expansion to Rockford, Illinois.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center is preparing to launch OSF OnCall Digital Hospital – an option to receive hospital-level care at home for some patients such as those with heart failure, COPD, COVID, infections, pneumonia, or other illnesses. Patients who qualify have been admitted through the emergency department or referred for admission directly by their provider.

Courtney Dahnert, MSN, RN, supervisor of Clinical Digital Care for OSF OnCall Digital Hospital in Rockford, says the care team at the OSF OnCall Command Center in Peoria will identify patients aged 18 and older who could be enrolled. Criteria to be enrolled includes their diagnosis, condition stability, they live within 30 minutes of OSF Saint Anthony, and have an insurer that covers hospital care at home. Medicare is among the payers willing to support home-based acute care.

OSF OnCall Digital Care Manager Melissa Meier, MSN, RN, says patients are also screened to make sure their home environment is safe and that they have the ability to be cared for at home. Once enrolled, a tech kit, providing 24/7 instant connection, is set up in the home before a patient arrives.

“A tablet, which is how we do our video visits, as well as Bluetooth enabled biometric equipment for us to be able to do vital signs remotely. We also bring a backup power source as well as a backup internet source and a device which is a personal emergency response system, which functions much like a Life Alert button.”

For potential candidates worried they’re not tech savvy, Pam Anderson, a patient from Morton enrolled in the program through OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria says everything is so easy to use.

“The phone … you don't dial it. You just pick it up and it rings directly to the (digital health) center. And once you do that, then somebody will appear on the iPad. So, if you do need something, you're actually speaking to someone (you can see). You're not just talking on the phone. And they're extremely prompt in answering. So there really isn't, in my opinion, a lot of technology involved. Thank heavens,” Anderson gladly reports.

There is a minimum of two visits from a nurse each day. Patients receive three meals a day and individuals can live alone or with family members. Costs are the same as for a hospital stay.

Meier says OSF OnCall Digital Hospital helps both the health system and the patient.

Research also shows patients in digital hospital programs recover faster, fewer are re-admitted to the hospital and they avoid hospital-acquired infections.

OSF is currently recruiting and training nurses for the digital hospital program in Rockford with special curriculum developed by OSF Innovation. It includes simulation for real-life scenarios, so nurses are prepared for any challenges. Dahnert says most nurses enjoy this new way of caring for patients that harkens back to the days of house calls.

“It takes us back to being able to provide that really good care; getting to know someone even though we're only caring for them for two or three days and making their health relevant to them. And it gives us time to breathe. So it's an amazing opportunity for both the patient and the provider.”

For patients concerned about their care and safety at home, the first-ever digital hospital patient for OSF, Jim Stickelmaier, says being at home was the best medicine.

“I would say definitely try it. I think they’ll find out that it was a lot easier and a lot nicer to be at home than in the hospital.” 

OSF OnCall has cared for nearly 370 patients in the Peoria area since launching its digital hospital program in August of 2022. The first digital hospital patient at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center could be admitted after the program launches for Rockford area patients on February 27.

Melissa Meier and Courtney Dahnert

OSF OnCall Digital Hospital Peoria-area patients Pam Anderson and Jim Stickelmaier

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Nearly 75 nurses from across the state of Illinois were provided the in-seat portion for adult/adolescent SANE training in order to become qualified to care for and treat survivors of sexual assault.

“To make sure that we have enough qualified medical providers across the state, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office provides SANE training in collaboration with health systems. OSF HealthCare has been very proactive in making it clear that we would like to host training and work with the Attorney General’s Office to give as many nurses as possible that are interested the opportunity to get the training,” explains Layne Steffen, program manager of nursing quality and safety and the SANE program for OSF HealthCare.

The Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (SASETA) is an Illinois law that requires hospitals to develop a treatment plan or transfer agreement with a treatment hospital. SASETA also establishes a statewide forensic evidence collection system and creates a reimbursement program for the cost of care and evidence collection for victims who are not covered by private insurance or Medicaid. The law also requires victims to be treated by a qualified medical provider, such as a SANE nurse, who will undergo months of training to become a qualified SANE.

SANE nurses can be trained specifically for pediatrics/adolescents, adult/adolescents, or both. Separate training courses are required to be qualified in both.

“SANE nursing is vitally important to understanding all the dynamics of what has happened to people after sexual abuse and sexual assault. SANE training gets into the neurobiology of trauma as well as some of the forensic elements of collecting important evidence that may be useful in later criminal proceedings,” Steffen says.

Steffen says the in-seat SANE training isn’t the end of training for nurses, but more of a steppingstone during a months-long journey.

“Before the in-seat training, there’s about 16 hours of online pre-work to learn about forensic nursing, some of the basics of anatomy and some of the basics of the neurobiology of trauma,” Steffen says. “The in-seat training gets much more into the details of the holistic care that’s required for the patient.”

Steffen says that in order to be considered a qualified medical provider by the State of Illinois, it can take anywhere from four to 12 months to complete all elements of training which includes involvement in medical forensic exams with sexual assault survivors.  

Sarah Vance is the SANE coordinator for OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center. She says it’s critical for medical providers to be knowledgeable in what patients are going through.

“It’s important to be able to have someone who truly understands trauma-informed care and be able to have that knowledge to complete a medical forensic exam for someone who has gone through one of the most traumatic events in their entire life,” Vance says.

Vance is certified in providing pediatric and adult SANE care and is one of only 555 people worldwide to hold dual certifications.

“After working as a qualified SANE for either 300 hours or three years, you are then eligible to take a national certification through the IAFN (International Association of Forensic Nursing). That is a board-certified test, which means once you’ve passed, you’re considered an expert in the field,” Vance says.

Vance admits this line of work can be very tough, but the reward of providing potentially lifesaving care to patients helps get her through the dark days.

“For me personally, it’s knowing that the care I give somebody will be remembered for the rest of their life. I’ve completed many kits throughout my career, and many times as I’m walking a patient out the door, I receive a hug from them,” Vance says. “They tell me this is the worst thing that has ever happened to them, but my interaction with them made it so much better and they thank me for it. For me, I know it’s the start of their healing and that’s what keeps me going.”

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is equipped to complete medical forensic exams for both children and adults who have experienced sexual assault.

Sarah Vance Video Interview Clips

Layne Steffen Video Interview Clips

Heather Bomstad grew up knowing she wanted to help people who were sick and in need of care. So she followed in her aunt’s footsteps and became a registered nurse, working her way up the ranks to where she is today – chief nursing officer for OSF Healthcare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, Illinois and Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota, Illinois.

Bomstad has seen many changes over the past two decades, and now she, along with many other nursing leaders across the country, are seeking ways to combat a worrisome trend when it comes to a nursing shortage.

“The state of nursing right now is definitely gone through its challenges, especially since the pandemic started a couple of years ago," she says. "Early on we didn't know what to expect out of it and it was just a whole different vibe, but then going through it and seeing how our patients were struggling and the very, very sick, and the high volumes that we were having really took a toll on nurses, which then has really made some nurses want to leave health care in general, unfortunately. Some just needed to do something different maybe in healthcare, but just a different type of nursing, which has made shortages in various areas of nursing.”

There are approximately 3.9 million registered nurses in the U.S., but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that more than 500,000 nurses will retired by the end of 2022. But there are other factors to the shortage as well, and the BLS estimates that more than one million new registered nurses will be needed to prevent a shortage.

“Burnout I would say is probably the number one reason that people are thinking long and hard (about leaving),"  says Bomstad. "This is stressful work and it is, but yet very gratifying work, but many are wondering if they need to do something different. It breaks my heart to see nurses go into a whole different career path when you know, they set out to take care of people early on, but it's indeed happening.”

One way OSF HealthCare is bridging that gap is turning to graduating students from its two colleges of nursing, in Peoria and Rockford. The colleges offer students a variety of degrees and practical hands-on experience that has become more vital since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

“Years ago, you could say that when we had new graduate nurses they tended to go to more of our medical floor or surgical floors. We always wanted them to get that experience first before going to any specialty, to an ICU to an ER to a pediatric unit, OB – whatever the case may be," says Bomstad.  "But coming out of this, we're thinking differently. If their heart is set and their passion is to be in a certain specialty area, we are now hiring them into those areas.”

Health care leaders are taking a closer look at everything – including encouraging more flexible hours and work/life balance – to ensure the health and satisfaction of all nurses, both those new to the field as well as the long-tenured professionals.

Despite the many challenges, Bomstad says she wouldn’t change a thing in her career, and encourages others to seek out the many opportunities that exist in health care.

“I went into nursing to care for people and I would hope that every nurse that goes into it knows what they're getting into and that's the true reason – really caring for the patient, their families," she says. "They're coming to us in their most vulnerable time. They need that help, that communication, and it is still a very gratifying career to go into and I really hope and encourage young people to go into nursing. It is still a fabulous profession.”

The OSF colleges of nursing in Peoria and Rockford offer traditional and online BSN, MSN, and DNP degree programs for students interested in a career in nursing. The process deadline for the spring 2023 semester is December 1, 2022. For more information, visit Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing and Saint Anthony College of Nursing.

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