Saint Barnabas Medical Center Only NJ Hospital to Receive 19 Consecutive “A” Ratings
West Orange, NJ, April 29, 2021 – Six 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 19th straight “A” and Monmouth Medical Center, which is the only hospital in the southern region to receive an “A” for 13 consecutive rating periods. Additionally, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton received its eighth consecutive “A” rating, with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and RWJUH Somerset both received their sixth consecutive “A” rating, and Community Medical Center in Toms River also received an “A” rating. Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, RWJUH and RWJUH Rahway all received a “B” rating.
The scores mark Saint Barnabas Medical Center's 19th A-rating in a row. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is the only hospital in the state and one of only 27 in the country to earn an “A” in each report since the Leapfrog surveys began.
“Being named one of only 27 hospitals in the United States to receive 19 consecutive “A” grades demonstrates the commitment and intentional focus on safety and quality by all physicians and employees of Saint Barnabas Medical Center. This achievement recognizes the high-quality care we deliver to our patients and their families every day,” said Stephen P. Zieniewicz, FACHE, President and CEO, Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “We understand that what matters most to our patients is safe, effective care and that is why we have made a commitment to positive outcomes through evidence-based care processes. We thank our staff for their continued dedication in providing the best-in class care with both clinical expertise and compassion especially during the immense challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We are honored to be recognized and understand our responsibility and dedication to our continued journey of high reliability for the communities we serve,” said Eric Carney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monmouth Medical Center, and Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, who notes that Monmouth Medical Center is the only hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties to receive an A Hospital Safety Score for 13 consecutive rating periods.
“An ‘A’ safety grade is an elite designation that your community should be proud of,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for hospitals, but the hospitals throughout the RWJBarnabas Health system shows us it is possible to keep a laser focus on patients and their safety, no matter what it takes.”
Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 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.
For more information on the Leapfrog Group and the Spring 2021 scores, please visit: www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic 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, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in 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, 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, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and an accountable care organization.
RWJBH is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 35,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBH and Rutgers University have partnered to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBH with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health.
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