Nurses who contributed to our South Sacramento Medical Center’s historic Magnet with Distinction recognition were celebrated before thousands of cheering Sacramento Kings fans during an exciting game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Kings fans, we have some very special guests here with us tonight,” Kings announcer Scott Moak said, as a group of Magnet nurse ambassadors and leaders assembled at center court during a game timeout. “A group of caring, highly skilled nurses from Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center recently helped their hospital achieve international recognition for nursing excellence.”
Fans were directed to look at the arena’s giant screens to view a brief video capturing last December’s announcement that South Sacramento had earned Magnet with Distinction, only the second hospital in the world to receive the honor and the first to achieve it on initial designation.
Earlier in the evening, prior to the game’s tip off, South Sacramento Chief Nurse Executive Rachel Wyatt, DNP, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, was interviewed on the court (pictured at left).
“Our hospital leaders and physician partners have supported and empowered our front-line nurses to practice to the best of their capabilities,” she said. “And that’s exactly what our nurses have done and continue to do. I am incredibly proud of our nursing teams for their commitment to achieving this prestigious designation.”
Magnet nurse ambassadors and nursing leaders also attended a pre-game reception at the Kaiser Permanente Sports Medicine Center inside Golden 1 Center, where they were welcomed and congratulated by Kimberly Menzel, RN, MHA, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President and Area Manager, Roseville.
As part of our long-standing partnership with the Sacramento Kings, several care experience stories and center-court reunifications between patients and their care teams are highlighted at Kings home games throughout the NBA season. This marked the first time a caregiver night game was dedicated solely to celebrating nursing excellence and recognizing a distinguished accolade for one of our medical centers.