Saint Barnabas Medical Center Only NJ hospital to Receive Consecutive “A” Ratings
West Orange, NJ, November 7, 2019 – Eight RWJBarnabas Health facilities were awarded with “A” Hospital Safety Score ratings by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. Among the A-rated hospitals is Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, which received its 16th straight “A.” In addition to Saint Barnabas Medical Center, the RWJBarnabas Health facilities who also received an “A” include: Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and RWJUH Somerset. Clara Maass Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, and RWJUH all received a “B” rating.
The fall scores mark Saint Barnabas Medical Center's 16th A-rating in a row. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is the only hospital in the state and one of only 36 in the country to earn an “A” in each report since the Leapfrog Surveys began.
“Patient safety is the priority at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Achieving straight ‘A’s’ for the 16th time in a row is indicative of our unwavering focus on safety and quality for our patients and their families. We are extremely proud of our entire health care team and their commitment and dedication to being a High Reliability Organization with outstanding outcomes,” said Stephen P. Zieniewicz, FACHE, President and CEO of Saint Barnabas Medical Center.
Monmouth Medical Center is the only hospital in the region to receive an “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group for ten consecutive rating periods.
“We are honored to be recognized and understand our responsibility and dedication to our continued journey of high reliability and outcomes for our patients and their families,” said Eric Carney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monmouth Medical Center. “We understand that what matters most to our patients is safe, effective care and that’s why we have made a commitment to accreditation and to positive outcomes through evidence-based care processes.”
RWJUH Rahway was also among one of the RWJBarnabas Health facilities to receive an ‘A’ grade.
“Receiving an ‘A’ grade from the Leapfrog Group is a reflection of our deep commitment to safety and the delivery of excellent care,” said Kirk C. Tice, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJUH Rahway. “We are continually evaluating our processes and refining our initiatives to ensure that we are providing the highest quality and safest care to the patients we serve.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
“‘A’ hospitals show us their leadership is protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes genuine commitment at every level – from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors – and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this ‘A’.”
For more information on the Leapfrog Group and the fall 2019 scores, please visit: www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes eleven acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, RWJUH in New Brunswick, RWJUH Somerset in Somerville, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston; three acute care children’s hospitals and a leading pediatric rehabilitation hospital with a network of outpatient centers (Children’s Specialized Hospital) with its multiple outpatient centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, a medical group, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 33,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health recently announced a partnership with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration will align RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Contact: Carrie Cristello
973-322-4642
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org