BEIRUT: The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and Nursing Services celebrated on Wednesday the granting of AUBMC the first Magnet designation in the Middle East at the Habtoor Grand Hotel in Sin al-Fil. The event was attended by Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh, the former vice-president for Medical Affairs and dean of the Faculty of Medicine, professor Nadim Cortas; the deputy dean of the Faculty of Medicine, professor Ziyad Ghazzal; assistant hospital director for Patient Care Services and director of Nursing Services Gladys Mouro; AUBMC director Munthir Kuzayli; AUB president Peter Dorman, and a host of leading experts in the fields of medicine and nursing. AUBMC representatives outlined the importance of the Magnet designation to patients and medical staff alike.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program awarded AUBMC its prestigious Magnet designation on June 23.
The Magnet program recognizes nursing excellence “in the delivery of care to patients, promoting quality health care services in an environment that supports professional nursing practice, and providing a mechanism for the dissemination of best practices in nursing services.” AUBMC is the first health-care institution in the Middle East and the third in the world outside the United States to receive this award. Magnet recognized organizations set the global standard for professional nursing care and innovative health-care reform that fully meet the needs of patients, families, and communities. Only 5 percent of all US hospitals are Magnet recognized, including prestigious hospitals, such as, Cedar Sinai Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Women’s Auxiliary of AUBMC donated over $150,000 to help needy patients, students, and hospital nurses, a university statement said on Thursday.
To announce its fundraising efforts, the Women’s Auxiliary recently held its annual Toy Tea Party at Marquand House, Dorman’s residence.
Thanking the 70 volunteers that constitute the Women’s Auxiliary for their efforts, Amal Najjar, the association’s president, announced that this year’s efforts led to an increase in the funds raised by the association.
The total contribution from June 2008 to June 2009 was LL231,730,000, the equivalent of $154,500, she said.
The sum was distributed among needy adult patients, pediatric patients, emergency cases, students, and hospital nurses.
Among those attending the event were Indonesian Ambassador Bagas Hasporo; Olga Boukine, wife of the Russian ambassador; Iman Nuwayhid, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Munthir Kuzayli, director of the AUB Medical Center; and professor Huda Saad Huijer, director of the Hariri School of Nursing at AUB.
Established in 1950, the Women’s Auxiliary provides support for the AUBMC by raising funds for needy patients and to help fund equipment and supplies. – The Daily Star