Nursing

Awards and Magnet Certification

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Always motivated to achieve more

UCLA Health is proud to claim a number of awards and achievements that distinguish our organization as a leading provider of healthcare services, not only in the United States but in the world. Some of our most recent distinctions include the following:

Magnet Designation

  • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA have earned Magnet Status for Nursing Excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet Recognition® is the highest and most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence. Magnet organizations are evaluated based on compliance with specific quality indicators and standards of nursing practice, which include maintaining appropriate nurse staffing ratios, involving nurses in decision-making processes, supporting continuing education and competence for nurses.

Awards

  • 2023 UCLA Health is awarded the Relationship Based Care Designation with distinction from Creative Healthcare Management. The recognition underscores our dedication to fostering a Relationship-Based Care culture through exceptional leadership, collaborative teamwork, professional practice, system design, and patient and family-centered care delivery.
  • CENTER for Nursing Excellence received the honorary 2023 American Nurse Credentialing NCPD Premier Award™ Exemplar. This prestigious award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment in the following areas:
    • Fostering shared decision-making, empowerment, and inter-professional collaboration
    • Embedding a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion
    • Leveraging NCPD interventions to show a return on investment aligned with the organization’s strategic goals
    • Demonstrating a tangible impact through public health initiatives
  • The Beacon Award for Excellence exemplifies high-quality patient care. Furthermore, it signifies a positive and supportive work environment with greater collaboration between colleagues and leaders and high morale.
    • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center AACN Beacon Honorees
      • Gold Awardees: 4ICU (Medical ICU); 8ICU (Surgical/Transplant Unit); 7CTICU (Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit) 
      • Silver Awardees: 6 East (Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit); 6 North (Neurology and Neurosurgery)
    • Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center AACN Beacon Honorees
      • Gold Awardees: 4MN (General Medicine Unit); 4SW (Med-Surg/Oncology Unit); 5NW (Geriatrics Unit); NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit); 5MN (Intermediate Care Unit)
      • Silver Awardees: 3NW (Orthopedics); PTU/PACU/TRU (Procedure & Treatment, Post Anesthesia Care, and Transitional Recovery Units)
  • The ANCC awarded UCLA Health Nurse Residency Program the Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP) honor in 2022 for evidence-based excellence in transitioning nurses to new practice settings.
  • 2022 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for the 3rd year in a row. (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center both received this for 2020, 2021 & 2022)

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Accreditations and Designations

  • UCLA Health received a top score and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” (Link opens in new window) in an annual assessment by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 
  • Newsweek recognized UCLA Health on its annual list of World's Best Hospitals 2023.
  • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and the University of California Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center both earned an "A" for the spring 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.
  • The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 healthcare organizations each year, awarded Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center the maximum three-year accreditation.
  • The Joint Commission certified UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center as a “Primary Stroke Center.” 
  • American College of Surgeons designated Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as the highest-level Trauma Center.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Emergency Medical Services Agency accredited Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Heart Attack Receiving Center.
  • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center achieved "Straight A's" in the Fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. As the nation's most prestigious honor for patient safety, Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses more than 30 national performance measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
  • The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognized UCLA with a 2020 Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award with Honor Roll Elite and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement.
  • The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognized UCLA with a 2018 Get With the Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus Award for achieving 85% or higher adherence to all Get with the Guidelines Heart Failure Performance Achievement Indicators.
  • RAC, a national accreditation organization, granted UCLA Health a Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation, a standard for excellence in ambulatory patient care.
  • The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a program sponsored by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with a "baby-friendly" designation in 2017.
  • Human Rights Campaign Foundation recognized all four UCLA Health hospitals on its list of “Leaders in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality” in 2019.
  • Press Ganey recognized Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA for outstanding nursing quality.
  • Vizient, a company that seeks to help healthcare organizations deliver exceptional, cost-effective patient care, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Health with the 2017 Rising Star Award for making significant improvements in year-over-year performance in quality and accountability.
  • CAPG, an association representing physician organizations in 38 states, recognized UCLA Medical Group with the highest rating possible in its 2017 Standards of Excellence Survey.
  • Healthgrades, a resource connecting consumers and healthcare organizations, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center as Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.
  • Healthgrades named UCLA Health as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals in 2021 for the 3rd year in a row. This recognition goes to the top 2% in the nation for consistently delivering clinical quality year after year.

Workplace and Culture

  • Forbes recognized UCLA Health as one of America’s Best Large Employers 2024.
  • With so many career options in California, we’re honored to have been named by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers by State in 2024.
  • Johnese Spisso, President, UCLA Health and CEO, UCLA Hospital System, has been recognized on Becker’s Hospital Review's 2024 list of "Great Healthcare Leaders to Know" for healthcare innovation, inclusivity, access to quality care and the transformation of the healthcare system. 
  • Our employees love what they do, where they work, and the people they work with. In fact, we were Certified by Newsweek in 2024 as a Most Loved Workplace.
  • Empowering and equipping women to reach their highest professional and personal potential enabled us to be named one of Forbes Best Employers for Women.
  • We’re focused on continually elevating diversity and inclusion in the workplace(Link is external) and have been named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity for 2024.
  • The prestigious and respected Becker’s Hospital Review named UCLA Health one of the Top Places to Work in 2024.
  • Getting your career off to a great start depends a lot on where you start, and we were named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for New Graduates in 2024.