BRIDGEPORT, CT (December 17, 2025) – Bridgeport Hospital has earned the prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), placing it among approximately 10 percent of the more than 6,000 hospitals nationwide, and one of only seven in Connecticut, to achieve this distinguished honor.
Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and 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 designation is the highest honor for nursing excellence that any hospital can achieve. The Magnet Recognition Program also recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care and innovations in professional practice. Magnet appraisers look closely at four areas of nursing operation and development, the hospital's nursing leaders and how they empower nursing staff; the hospital's culture of safety; the quality of nursing practice; and the best practices nurses discover and share to deliver safe patient care.
“This honor recognizes the exceptional collaboration, resilience and clinical excellence of our nurses and care teams and the outstanding outcomes they deliver for our patients every day,” said Mary Christoffersen, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer for Bridgeport Hospital. “It places Bridgeport Hospital among an elite group of hospitals nationwide that consistently deliver the highest standards of nursing excellence.”
“Earning Magnet designation is a powerful reflection of the excellence that defines Bridgeport Hospital,” said Anne Diamond, DBA, JD, president of Bridgeport Hospital. “While this achievement represents the strength of our entire organization, it’s our nurses whose leadership, innovation and commitment to evidence-based care made this Magnet journey possible.”
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. To achieve initial Magnet recognition, 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 Commission on Magnet Recognition. The designation lasts four years. Yale New Haven Hospital and Greenwich Hospital have previously received Magnet designation.
“This is a significant milestone for our entire health system,” said Ena Williams, PhD, RN, chief nurse executive for Yale New Haven Health. “It reflects a culture of excellence that extends across Yale New Haven Health, strengthening how we recruit and retain top talent, elevate patient care and advance quality and safety for the communities we serve.”
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
