Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — August 20, 2026 — Kootenai Health attained Magnet recognition for the fifth time, a testament to its continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.
Receiving Magnet recognition for the fifth time is rare, and a great achievement for Kootenai Health, as it continues to proudly belong to the global Magnet community – a small, select group of domestic health care organizations and hospitals in the U.S.
“Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to this community,” said Kim Jorgensen, Kootenai Health Chief Nursing Officer. “To earn Magnet recognition once was a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses. 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 health care needs of the people we serve.”
Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:
• Higher patient satisfaction.
• Lower mortality rates.
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Hospitals” showcase includes Magnet recognition as a criterion for measuring the quality of inpatient care.
The Magnet Recognition Program® provides a framework for nursing excellence that requires organizations to meet specific standards for leadership, nursing practice, research, and measurable patient outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across multiple components and dimensions to assess an organization’s nursing excellence.
ANCC’s evaluation focuses on key indicators of nursing excellence, including interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice, professional development, and continuous quality improvement. Organizations must demonstrate sustained achievements and measurable outcomes that positively impact both patients and caregivers.
To achieve and maintain Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process every four years that requires board engagement from both leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, submission of more than 100 examples demonstrating adherence to Magnet standards and nursing excellence,
an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet.
Health care organizations seeking redesignation must demonstrate continued adherence to Magnet standards and ongoing improvements in patient care, nursing practice, and quality outcomes. As part of the four-year redesignation cycle, organizations provide documented evidence of sustained excellence and measurable advancements achieved since their most recent recognition.
“We’re a better organization today because of the Magnet recognition we first achieved in 2006,” said Jorgensen. “Magnet recognition raised the bar for patient care and inspired every member of our team to achieve excellence every day. It is this commitment to providing our community with high-quality care that helped us become a Magnet-recognized organization, and it’s why we continue to pursue and maintain Magnet recognition.”
PHOTO: From left: Liz Godbehere, RN, Kootenai Health Board of Directors; Jameson Smith, Kootenai Health CEO; Sara Olsen, Director, Center for Nursing Excellence; Kim Jorgensen, Kootenai Health CNO; Roxanne Gadberry, Manager, Nursing Excellence; Cindy Clark, RN, Kootenai Health Board of Directors; and Robert McFarland, M.D., Kootenai Health Board of Directors Chair
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About Kootenai Health
Kootenai Health is a not-for-profit, community-based health care organization. It has hospital locations in Coeur d’Alene, Orofino, and Cottonwood, Idaho, more than 20 outpatient primary care and specialty practices, and more than 4,500 staff members. Kootenai Health holds numerous designations for advanced medicine, including Magnet for nursing excellence, Level II Trauma, and Level III NICU. It is “A” rated for financial strength by Standard and Poor’s. To learn more, visit kh.org or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®
The Magnet Recognition Program, administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world, identifies health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, visit nursingworld.org/magnet.
