John Muir Health’s Concord Medical Center Achieves Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence Again

John Muir Health’s two medical centers are among less than 10% of hospitals nationwide and just 59 in California that are Magnet-recognized.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                   

December 4, 2025

(Concord, CA) – John Muir Health’s Concord Medical Center achieved Magnet recognition for the fourth time, one of the highest and most prestigious distinctions that a health care organization can achieve for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program® distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for professional nursing practice.

The Concord Medical Center was originally honored in 2010, then re-designated in 2015 and 2020 before achieving Magnet recognition for the fourth time this year. John Muir Health’s Walnut Creek Medical Center is also a Magnet recognized hospital, originally honored in 2008 before being re-designated in 2013, 2018 and 2023. John Muir Health’s two medical centers are among less than 10% of hospitals nationwide and just 59 in California that are Magnet-recognized.

”Magnet validates that our nurses are not only skilled clinicians, but also leaders, innovators, educators, and collaborators,” said Michelle Lopes, Chief Administrative Officer, Clinical Integration and Performance and System Chief Nurse Executive at John Muir Health. “Our recognition for the fourth time reinforces for our patients the exceptional care and experience they can expect to receive at John Muir Health.”

To achieve Magnet re-designation, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet Recognition.

During their October site visit, Magnet appraisers observed a strong culture of empowerment, collaboration, and excellence in care. They found that Concord Medical Center nurses take pride in their work, consistently stating to the appraisers that, “I would be proud to have my family cared for here.”

“Our nurses continue to choose to work at John Muir Health to serve the community and uphold the highest standards of their profession,” said Lopes. “We appreciate the skill, compassion and commitment they demonstrate every day.”

Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, when an organization embarks on a journey to Magnet designation, it commits to the highest quality health care. This is not only evident in decreases in mortality rates and shorter hospital stays, but in the experience of every patient.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet Recognition cited seven exemplars (best practices) from the Concord Medical Center’s application and site visit. These included:

• Structural Empowerment – Registered Nurses Earning a Baccalaureate or Higher Degree in Nursing (86%) –Magnet benchmark is 80% or greater;
• Professional Practice – Nurse Turnover Rate – 9.13%, which is less than the Magnet standard of 10%;
• Professional Practice – Exemplary Device-related Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury (HAPI) data that outperformed the benchmark;
• Professional Practice – Exemplary Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) data that outperformed the benchmark;
• Professional Practice (Ambulatory) – Exemplary Surgical Errors data that outperformed the benchmark;
• Professional Practice (Ambulatory) – Exemplary Patient Burns data that outperformed the benchmark;
• Professional Practice – Moving STEMI patients from the Emergency Department to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab for emergency procedures in less than 90 minutes, which outperformed the benchmark.

“Our commitment to our patients, their family members, visitors and to our community is to demonstrate every day why we are deserving of this prestigious honor,” said Lopes.