Bariatric Surgery Program Receives Five-Star Rating
(New Brunswick, NJ) – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is among the top five percent in the nation for Bariatric Surgery and a recipient of the Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award according to new analysis by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.
RWJUH has earned the Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award for four consecutive years and it is the only hospital in South and Central New Jersey named in the top 5% for Bariatric Surgery for three years in a row (2020-2022).
Healthgrades measures hospital performance based on patient outcomes. Its methodologies adjust for each patient’s risk factors, such as age, gender and medical condition.
“It is an honor that our program has been recognized by Healthgrades for the past four years,” said Ragui Sadek, M.D., FACS, FASMBS, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at RWJUH. “This award highlights the dedication our board-certified and fellowship trained surgeons, working alongside of our interprofessional bariatrics team, towards improving the lives of our patients through personalized plans and state-of-the-art technology, continuing education and lifetime follow-up.”
“This expertise and commitment to excellence informs our ability to intervene in the most complicated laparoscopic cases and for patients at high risk and provide them with a way to experience a better quality of life,” Sadek continued.
“We want to provide information to make finding a health care specialist an easier experience for consumers. Patients can feel confident knowing that hospitals that are recognized for their performance in Bariatric Surgery provide high-quality care and superior outcomes,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science, Healthgrades.
RWJUH helps a high volume of patients with obesity who often have significant additional health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes that place them in the high-risk category for surgical intervention. The experience and training of our medical staff, in addition to operating in a hospital setting with the highest levels of acute care, continue to deliver life-changing results and a pathway to a healthy lifestyle.
RWJ University Hospital was also recognized for the following 2022 clinical achievements:
- Five-Star Recipient for Overall Bariatric Surgery for 4 Years in a Row (2019-2022)
- Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment in 2022
For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 31 common conditions and procedures and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 16 states. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality.
About the Bariatric Surgery Center at RWJUH
The Bariatric Surgery Center at RWJUH is a highly accredited, comprehensive medical program providing care for overweight and obese patients age 15 and older. The Bariatric Surgery Center staff is composed of an interprofessional team, including surgeons who are board certified and fellowship trained and can perform the most complicated laparoscopic cases. Patients embark on a personalized lifetime care plan based on their individual needs and risk factors. The Bariatric Surgery Center includes a program specifically developed for High Risk patients such as heart failure patients, kidney/pancreas transplant patients, morbidly obese patients with a BMI over 60, and adolescents (15-21 years of age). Qualified individuals participate in medically supervised weight loss programs b/rwj-university-hospital-new-brunswick/treatment-care/weight-loss-and-bariefore referral for bariatric surgery. Throughout the process, patients benefit from educational programs, support groups and specialists to aid in the life-changing transition.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 600-bed academic medical center that serves as the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
RWJUH has been named among the best places to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine and received the Equity Care of Award as Top Hospital for Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion from the American Hospital Association. RWJUH Brunswick has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers. For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick.
Contact: Hannah Peterson
RWJUH Public Relations
hannah.peterson@RWJBH.org