Magnet Designation
Five-time Magnet® Recognition
We're excited to share a major milestone in our Magnet journey. In November 2025, we officially received the Magnet Recognition with Distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The Magnet designation is considered the international gold standard of nursing excellence, and Cook Children's Medical Center is now one of only 2% of hospitals to receive five consecutive Magnet designations. Cook Children's Medical Center has joined an elite group of health care organizations committed to nursing excellence and high-quality outcomes. Research shows that Magnet hospitals have lower mortality rates, decreased lengths of stay, increased patient satisfaction and above-average nurse satisfaction and nurse retention.
Our 5th Magnet designation. Why it matters.
Read how it defines the very essence of the nurses here at Cook Children's, and why Magnet recognition is so important to the patients, families and communities we serve.
For nineteen years, Cook Children's Medical Center has been a Magnet-designated facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. Cook Children's Medical Center was first designated in 2006, with subsequent re-designations in January 2011, March 2016, February 2021 and November 2025.
The ANCC is the largest and most prominent nurse credentialing organization in the world, and it developed the Magnet Recognition Program to recognize organizations that empower nurses to reach their full potential. To nurses, Magnet represents education and professional development throughout every career stage, leading to greater autonomy at the bedside. To patients, Magnet signifies the highest quality of care.
As a five-time Magnet hospital, Cook Children's Medical Center continues to set the standard for excellence while embracing an inspiring Promise – to improve the health of every child through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury.
As Cheryl Petersen, Chief Nursing Officer at Cook Children's, said, "This is what sets Magnet hospitals apart from other hospitals. It is an acknowledgment of forward-thinking innovation, research, and high-level training. We are so proud of what our nurses continue to achieve."