Source: NorthJersey.com
Hackensack University Medical Center has regained the top spot on a list by U.S. News & World Report of the best hospitals in New Jersey.
The hospital jumped from its No. 2 ranking last year on the publication’s annual list, released this week, moving past Morristown Medical Center, which had been named the top hospital in the state for the past five years.
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood also made the list of best hospitals in the state, coming in at No. 3.
Hackensack improved from 10th to sixth hospital overall in the New York metropolitan area, and three of its specialty areas — cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, and gastroenterology — were ranked as “high performing.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of this entire team of men and women who come here every day with the sole focus of providing the best care they can possibly provide,” said Mark Sparta, president of HUMC. “Whether they are a nurse or caregiver at a patient’s bedside or an environmental service worker who cleans the facility, everyone takes care of the patients here.”
The rankings are based on analysis by data journalists of millions of hospital visits and admissions to identify the best hospitals in the country. The publication evaluates more than 5,000 hospitals each year.
Sparta said the ranking and the recent five-star quality rating the hospital received from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reflect the focus in recent years on improving patient safety, such as preventing falls, medical errors and hospital-acquired infections.
The hospital, which is part of the Hackensack Meridian Health system, also received an “A” grade for patient safety in a recent report from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog of hospital quality.
“We’ve really focused on managing risks around patients and ensuring we reduce any variation of care that’s provided,” Sparta said. “We have a huge responsibility. Bergen County is one of the most densely populated counties in the nation. The community is fortunate that they have a number of good hospitals to go to, but when something really serious happens, this is often where they come. We have a lot of people who depend on us.”
The nonprofit teaching and research hospital expanded its footprint in Hackensack earlier this year with the opening of the nine-story, 530,000-square-foot Helena Theurer Pavilion, the largest building on the sprawling campus, containing 24 operating rooms, 72 operative preparation and recovery beds, 50 intensive care beds and 175 private medical and surgical beds.