Honors and Awards

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's (RWJUH's) steadfast commitment to improving the health of our communities is exemplified by the national awards and recognition we have received.

Elite Nursing Awards & Accreditations

• RWJUH has achieved Magnet Recognition® for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center six consecutive times.
• RWJUH is the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Press Ganey Human Experience NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality in the Academic Medical Center category, recognizing our commitment to providing exceptional patient care and nursing practice.

US News Best Hospitals

• RWJUH, N.J.’s premier academic medical center, is ranked #4 of ten Best Regional Hospitals in New Jersey and #17 in the NY Metro Area by US News & World Report in the 2025-26 Best Hospitals edition. The hospital received nineteen “High Performing” ratings in three Adult Specialties, sixteen Common Adult Procedures, and Conditions:
  • High Performing Specialties (Top 10% of hospitals)
    • Cancer
    • Orthopedics
    • Urology
  • High Performing Common Adult Conditions and Procedures
    • Aortic Valve Surgery
    • Colon Cancer Surgery
    • Diabetes
    • Gynecological Cancer
    • Heart Arrhythmia
    • Heart Bypass Surgery
    • Heart Failure
    • Kidney Failure
    • Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma
    • Lung Cancer Surgery
    • Maternity
    • Pacemaker Implantation
    • Prostate Cancer Surgery
    • Spinal Fusion
    • Stroke
    • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
• For the third consecutive year, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, together with Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, McMullen Children’s Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, and Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, is nationally ranked in the U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals 2025-2026 awards for Urology #48 (tie).

Newsweek

• RWJUH earned recognition on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-in-State Hospitals in 2024, 2025 and 2026. This prestigious ranking is based on quality metrics data, a nationwide online survey, patient experience, and a voluntary PROMS implementation survey.

The Joint Commission (TJC)

• The Joint Commission awarded RWJUH the Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care for Hip Fracture. This is RWJUH’s first-ever certification, making us one of less than 100 hospitals in the country to earn this award. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
• The Joint Commission awarded RWJUH the Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Re-Certification for Spine Surgery for the third consecutive time.
• The Joint Commission awarded a Gold Seal Certification to RWJUH's Bariatric Services for compliance with all standards and satisfactory patient safety measures. It is the only Gold Seal-certified bariatric program in New Jersey, and one of only five nationally. The Bariatric Services program has been certified four consecutive times.
• The Joint Commission awarded RWJUH a Gold Seal Certification as well as an Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation five consecutive times.
• The Joint Commission recognized the RWJUH Stroke Center as meeting TJC’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Advanced Certification for the sixth consecutive time. This means it is part of an elite group of providers focused on complex stroke care.

Heart, Cardiac, Stroke, & Vascular

• RWJUH’s Comprehensive Stroke Center has achieved the highest level of recognition given for stroke care by the American Heart and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA). RWJUH has earned AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapy with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll status.
  • Advanced Therapy Honor Roll – This award recognizes that for patients who are eligible for mechanical intervention, more than half of stroke patients are treated with endovascular therapy (such as the removal of a blood clot) within 90 minutes of ED arrival. More than half of patients who are transferred from another hospital are treated within an hour.
  • Diabetes Honor Roll – This award recognizes that RWJUH meets 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months for all required measures which aims to ensure patients with type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized with Stroke.
• The American Heart Association proudly recognizes RWJUH with Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center BRONZE award.
• Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) recognizes RWJUH for demonstrating a continuous commitment to providing quality patient care in Vascular Testing.

Cancer Awards

• The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), has granted accredited status to the Breast Care Connection at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
• The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers.
• The Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center at RWJUH is the flagship facility of the Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and first and only freestanding cancer hospital. This signifies a high level of scientific excellence in cancer research and treatment, with a focus on translating research into improved patient care.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation

• RWJUH has been re-designated as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, for nine consecutive years.

Healthgrades

• RWJUH has been recognized six years in a row for Bariatric Surgery Excellence by Healthgrades. This award recognizes patient outcomes in the top 5% nationally. RWJUH is one of only four hospitals in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut to be named in the top five percent for Bariatric Surgery for two years in a row.

Surgical Review Corporation

• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is accredited as a Center of Excellence in Adult Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation.
• The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital achieved the first-ever Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) accreditation in 2023 as a Center of Excellence in Pediatric and Robotic Surgery in the United States. This designation acknowledges BMSCH’s commitment to delivering quality patient care and safety.

American College of Surgeons

• RWJUH’s Adult Level I Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center have been verified consecutively since 2012 by the American College of Surgeons.
• RWJUH’s Adult Level I Trauma Center is one of three state-designated trauma centers in New Jersey.

National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC)

• The Epilepsy Center at RWJUH earned the National Association of Epilepsy Centers Level 4 accreditation. This is the highest level of comprehensive and specialized care for individuals with complex epilepsy.

Vizient

• The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) earned the 2025 Birnbaum Quality and Accountability Top Performer award from Vizient for pediatric care. Only 11 of 98 pediatric programs were recognized as Top Performers based on outstanding performance in quality and safety measures.

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

• 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 only 26 states in the U.S. to host such a Center of Excellence