What may not be as well-known is that employers, insurers and patients should look for facilities with Magnet Recognition—an award that recognizes health care organizations providing the best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice.

Although too few health care and benefits stakeholders are aware of or understand its significance to their hospital care, increasing such knowledge can improve consumerism and overall health care quality.

Originating from research designed to determine which variables helped hospitals attract and retain nurses during the nursing shortage in the 1970s, the foundation for the Magnet program was created. In the early 1990s, the American Nurses Credentialing Center began designating Magnet institutions.

The Magnet Recognition program follows an intensive process of application and review of quality indicators and standards of nursing practice. It provides consumers with a benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive.

The benefits of Magnet Recognition reach patients, and by extension, their employers, who pay the lion's share of health insurance premiums.

For patients, Magnet hospitals typically are better-staffed. This may translate to better care, fewer medical errors and increased patient safety.

According to the American Hospital Association, nurses render more than 95% of the care that a patient receives while hospitalized. Since most hospital care will be provided by a nurse, the quality of the nursing care in a given facility should be a high consideration for consumers and employers.

Along those lines, nurses working at Magnet hospitals typically are more satisfied with their jobs, resulting in lower turnover, lower vacancy rates and an increased stability in patient care systems across the hospital.

Further, while there is not much variance in staff nurses' salaries, compensation for managers is higher because the requirements for nurse leaders, such as minimum education criteria, are greater.

In addition, some hospitals claim that they have been able to negotiate stronger HMO care contracts.

When U.S. News & World Report publishes its annual showcase of "America's Best Hospitals," being a Magnet facility contributes to the total score for the quality of inpatient care.

Of the hospitals listed on the exclusive 2008 Honor Roll rankings, seven of the top 10 were Magnet hospitals.

Unfortunately, in 2008, less than 5% of American hospitals achieved Magnet certification. That translates to less than 300 hospitals.

As employees are encouraged to become more savvy health care consumers, they need to be armed with this and other quality and cost information to help them research and make an important health care decision. Their search may include you as their HR/benefits resource.

In that role, encourage employees to thoroughly research any health care facilities that they may use, and to give full consideration to Magnet-recognized facilities. Further, provide them with Web sites where they can find the best hospital and the best nursing care.

Information on Magnet facilities can be found at www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/FindaMagnetFacility.aspx.

Information regarding specific hospitals' quality indicators can be found at www.qualitycheck.org.

Also, when evaluating health plans, remember to review the in-network facilities to confirm their status as a Magnet facility. The more information you have, the better to make a good decision.

Contributing Editor Betty Long is a registered nurse and founder of Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates, a health care advocacy firm that has helped thousands of patients navigate the health care system and saved millions of dollars in health care costs.