RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers University Achieve First-ever Designation in New Jersey; Joins 25 states nationwide with NORD COEs
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s (RWJMS) Rare Disease Center of Excellence will be led by Sabahat Bokhari, MD, FACC, FASNC, (right) as Director, and Naveena Yanamala, MS, PhD, FASE as Co-Director (left). Dr. Bokhari serves as Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension at RWJMS and Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging and Director of the Cardiac Amyloidosis Center at RWJUH. Dr. Yanamala is Associate Professor of Medicine at RWJMS, Section Chief of Clinical Research, Director of the Center for Innovation at RWJUH and RWJMS and is a recognized leader in data science and AI innovation.
(New Brunswick, NJ) — Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), has been designated a National Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). RWJUH is the first hospital in the state to receive this designation making New Jersey one of just 26 states in the U.S. to host such a Center of Excellence.
RWJUH and RWJMS were selected for this designation based on the strength and impact of their Cardiac Amyloidosis Center, which was recently named an International Center of Excellence by the International Society of Amyloidosis (ISA). RWJUH is part of the RWJBarnabas Health Heart and Vascular network of care. The Center offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary care across cardiology, neurology, hematology, nephrology, pathology, and bone marrow transplantation, allowing for precise diagnosis and personalized treatment plans.
“This prestigious designation highlights our academic medical center’s deep commitment to delivering world-class, multidisciplinary care and advancing research that holds the promise of breakthroughs for patients with rare and complex conditions,” says Bill Arnold, CEO of RWJUH, President of the RWJBarnabas Health Southern Region and Executive Vice President at RWJBarnabas Health. “Patients can be confident that a dedicated team of clinicians and researchers is with them every step of the way.”
Launched in 2021, NORD’s Rare Disease Centers of Excellence Program is the first national network dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching the full spectrum of rare diseases.
The Center will be led by Sabahat Bokhari, MD, FACC, FASNC, as Director, and Naveena Yanamala, MS, PhD, FASE as Co-Director. Dr. Bokhari serves as Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension at RWJMS and Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging and Director of the Cardiac Amyloidosis Center at RWJUH. Dr. Yanamala is Associate Professor of Medicine at RWJMS, Section Chief of Clinical Research, Director of the Center for Innovation at RWJUH and RWJMS and is a recognized leader in data science and AI innovation.
“We are proud that Dr. Bokhari’s leadership and Dr. Yanamala’s interdisciplinary expertise will serve as the foundation of this Center within the Division of Cardiology, while also expanding its reach across other specialties,” says Dr. Partho Sengupta, Chief of Cardiology at RWJUH and RWJMS. “Their collaborative approach will help build a dynamic network of physicians and researchers united in the mission to address rare diseases through innovation and teamwork.”
This approach directly aligns with the NORD model, which emphasizes care and research networks centered on a single rare disease – or small groups of rare diseases – bringing together multidisciplinary teams to drive advances in care and innovation. Participating Centers are dedicated to sharing knowledge and best practices to improve outcomes and foster groundbreaking research.
“This achievement is the result of strong partnerships and a shared vision between RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School,” says Amy P. Murtha, MD, Dean of RWJMS. “Through these collaborations, patients gain access to leading physicians, cutting-edge research, advanced clinical trials, and technologies available at only a select group of elite academic medical centers. Our shared goal is to bring hope to those facing the most challenging diagnoses.”
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 724-bed academic medical center in New Brunswick that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Cancer Institute. RWJUH is home to the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a nationally-ranked 2025-26 Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. RWJUH is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Regional Hospital for 2025-2026 with 19 High Performing Adult Specialties and Conditions. Centers of Excellence include heart and vascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, pediatrics and women’s health. As one of only three state-certified Level 1 Trauma Centers and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the New Jersey, RWJUH’s campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.
RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.
RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year.
For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.
About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including The Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Institute for Neurological Therapeutics, and the Women’s Health Institute.
The medical school has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 100 medical schools in the nation and No. 1 in the state for research and primary care. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility and the medical school’s principal affiliate, comprise one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. Clinical services are provided by more than 500 faculty physicians in 200+ specialties and subspecialties as part of Rutgers Health and the RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
To learn more about Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.rutgers.edu.