Sanford Fargo achieves first Magnet® recognition
April 23, 2025
Contact:
Nathan Aamodt
Sanford Health Media Relations
(701) 200-6080/nathan.aamodt@sanfordhealth.org
FARGO, N.D. – For the first time, Sanford Health Fargo has achieved Magnet® designation. Sanford Fargo joins Sanford Bismarck as the only organizations in North Dakota to earn Magnet designation through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
The ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program® is the most prestigious credential a health care organization can achieve for nursing excellence and quality patient care. A Magnet designation indicates to patients and the public that an organization has met the stringent, evidence-based standards for nursing excellence in patient care delivery. This gold standard for nursing excellence signifies:
• Improved patient outcomes
• Improved safety and quality
• Higher patient satisfaction
• High job satisfaction among nurses
“We are incredibly excited and proud to earn this Magnet designation for our Fargo hospitals and clinics. This achievement is a true testament to the excellence our nursing teams demonstrate every day, who go above and beyond to provide world-class health care to the communities we serve,” said Theresa Larson, Sanford Fargo chief nursing officer. “This designation is an acknowledgement of the incredible people that show up and put their heart and soul into their work. Our teams create environments where nurses want to practice, their expertise is valued and developed and patients can come for quality care.”
Magnet recognition is a factor when the public evaluates health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence. The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
To achieve Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that involves widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an application with written documentation outlining how the over 100 Magnet standards are met, an on-site visit to verify, clarify and amplify an organizations demonstration of the Magnet standards and a review with recommendation by the Commission on Magnet Recognition. Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years and continue to provide documented evidence demonstrating their commitment and adherence to Magnet standards.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves 2.4 million patients and more than 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes 56 hospitals, more than 270 clinic locations, 144 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 1,000 active clinical trials and studies, and nine world clinic locations around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
About ANCC’s 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 is the highest national honor 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 www.nursingworld.org/magnet.
