Awards and Distinctions
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, having received many national and regional recognitions, including:
Overall
In the U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 Best Hospitals edition, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) were both recognized as Best Regional Hospitals ranking in the top ten in NJ and in the top 25 in the Mid-Atlantic Region. RWJUH was ranked No. 4 in NJ and No. 17 in the region, and CBMC was ranked No. 8. in NJ and No. 23 in the region. RWJUH and RWJUH Somerset each received High Performing Specialty awards. RWJUH achieved two new High Performing Specialty awards for Orthopedics and Urology, and, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute, earned another High Performing Specialty rating for Cancer. RWJUH Somerset also achieved a High Performing Specialty rating for Orthopedics. Seven RWJBarnabas Health hospitals including CBMC, Community Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, RWJUH and RWJUH Somerset were each recognized as High Performing for Common Adult Procedures and Conditions.
Seven RWJBarnabas Health facilities have been recognized among the 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, including Jersey City Medical Center, Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, RWJUH Somerset and Trinitas Regional Medical Center. The prestigious list identifies hospitals that provide high-quality maternity care for uncomplicated pregnancies.
RWJBarnabas Health children’s hospitals were named among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals for 2025/2026 for pediatric Urology by U.S. News & World Report for the third consecutive year. The Urology ranking recognizes a four-hospital practice that is based at BMSCH but also provides care at three other RWJBarnabas Health hospitals – 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. Additionally, RWJBarnabas Health ranked #2 in New Jersey and #16 in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at RWJUH ranked #34 nationally for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report for 2024/2025.
In November of 2025, eight RWJBarnabas Health facilities were awarded “A” Hospital Safety Score including Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway, RWJUH Somerset and Trinitas Regional Medical Center.
In December of 2025, Monmouth Medical Center was named a Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for a fourth time. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors.
In 2026, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and RWJUH Somerset were named to Healthgrades annual list of America’s Best Hospitals for 2026. CMBC earned a spot on the America’s 100 Best Hospitals list for the first time, placing it in the top 2% of hospitals in the nation for overall clinical performance, while RWJUH Somerset was included on America’s 250 Best Hospitals list, which represents those in the top 5th percentile, for the third year in a row. In addition to the overall rankings, both hospitals received high marks for specialized care including cardiac care, pulmonary care, stroke care, critical care, gastrointestinal surgery and neurosciences. CBMC was also recognized for its treatment of GI Bleeds.
Numerous facilities received the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission for various programs including joint replacement; disease-specific certifications in Health Care Equity, hip fracture, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), spine surgery acute coronary syndrome, cardiac rehabilitation, and heart failure; advanced certification in palliative care; bariatric surgery; and stroke program.
Several practices within the Combined Medical Group of RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health received the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition, which emphasizes the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication and patient involvement.
In 2025, two RWJBarnabas Health hospitals were awarded 2025 Human Experience Awards from Press Ganey, the global leader in healthcare experience solutions and services. Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus received a Press Ganey Human Experience (HX) Guardian of Excellence Award® for exceptional physician experience in acute care. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center was awarded Press Ganey’s Pinnacle of Excellence Award® for excellent patient experience in the facility’s NICU. In 2024, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital was honored with theHuman Experience NDNQI® Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality® and is just one of just seven academic medical centers in the country to be honored by Press Ganey for outstanding nursing quality and fostering a culture rooted in improving patient safety and care.
Six RWJBarnabas Health facilities have achieved Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing. RWJUH New Brunswick received this recognition six consecutive times – making it one of only seven institutions globally to achieve this distinction. In 2024, Monmouth Medical Center became the first hospital in NJ and the 11th in the country to earn Magnet with Distinction.
In 2025, RWJBarnabas Health was awarded Accreditation with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP®). This prestigious designation recognizes the health system’s nurse residency program as a national leader in supporting new graduate nurses as they transition into professional practice.
Children’s Specialized Hospital has been recognized on Newsweek’s 2026 list of World’s Best Specialized Hospitals for the fifth year in a row. In 2025, Monmouth Medical Center was named by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals, marking the fourth consecutive year. Monmouth Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital have also been included in Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-In-State Hospitals for 2025. RWJUH New Brunswick also received Newsweek America’s Best award for Ambulatory Surgery Centers in NJ in 2024 for the third year in a row.
In 2024, ten RWJBarnabas Health facilities were awarded Gold recognition for their Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs from the New Jersey Department of Health; Monmouth Medical Center has continued to receive Gold since the establishment of the awards program in 2019.
Specialty Care
Rutgers Cancer Institute, together with RWJBarnabas Health, is New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI) – designated Comprehensive Care Center – recognized for its clinical and scientific research leadership.
In 2025, five RWJBarnabas Health facilities have achieved the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. These facilities include Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, RWJUH Somerset and Community Medical Center (CMC).
In 2024, RWJBH Mobile Health received the American Heart Association Mission
Lifeline EMS Gold Award.
This award is given to an elite group of prehospital providers for their
commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care, ensuring
that individuals experiencing a heart attack or stroke receive treatment
according to the latest nationally accepted evidence-based guidelines.
In 2025, RWJBarnabas Health received a second advanced comprehensive stroke program certification from The Joint Commission (TJC). Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center has earned its first Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Comprehensive Stroke Center, a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. Offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, achieving Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) Certification shows the hospital’s dedication to raising the bar for performance. It is the highest level of certification for hospitals with specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases.
In 2024, cancer programs at several RWJBarnabas Health facilities, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute, were granted Three-Year Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). Facilities that received this accreditation include Jersey City Medical Center, Community Medical Center, RWJUH Somerset, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, and RWJUH Hamilton.
Overall
In 2025, RWJBarnabas Health was recognized for its continued leadership and excellence in advancing digital health in CHIME Healthcare’s 2025 Most Wired Survey. RWJBarnabas Hospitals were ranked as a Level 9 Acute Organization, while RWJBarnabas Medical Group was ranked as a Level 9 Ambulatory Organization This level indicates successful implementation of state-of-the-art technologies in innovative ways that advance the level of care across patient touchpoints.
In 2024, ten RWJBarnabas Health facilities were recognized as “Leaders in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation – the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization – recognizing healthcare institutions that are leaders in efforts to offer equitable care to LGBTQ+ patients by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related to LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.
Workforce
In 2025, RWJBarnabas Health was recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces. RWJBarnabas Health was also recognized by Newsweek as one of:
- America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity for the second consecutive year
- America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women
- America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing
- America’s Greatest Workplaces for Patients and Families
RWJBarnabas Health has been recognized as a leader in advancing workplace disability inclusion, earning a top score on the 2025 Disability Index® and being named a “2025 Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by Disability:IN. The Disability Index is the leading resource for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies to measure disability workplace inclusion within their organization and to assess performance across industry sectors.
RWJBarnabas Health is a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer, an accreditation awarded by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, for its dedication and commitment to maintaining a high standard of excellence in cancer prevention, early detection, and quality care for its employees and families.
Additional Awards and Distinctions
RWJBarnabas Health has been recognized for excellence across our service lines, receiving prestigious awards and distinctions in the following categories:
Excellence in Emergency Care
- American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Quality Network E-QUAL Honor Roll (June 2025): Several RWJBarnabas Health emergency departments have been named to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Quality Network (E-QUAL) Honor Roll, recognizing excellence in treating stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and opioid and alcohol use disorders. Eight RWJBH hospitals were honored, with Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus recognized in all four categories. This distinction highlights RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to evidence-based emergency care and system-wide collaboration to improve patient outcomes.
- American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (January 2025): Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus has been awarded Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). This accreditation program is an ACEP-governed national accreditation program dedicated to improving the emergency department care of adults 65 and older.
- National Recognition for Emergency Stroke Care (July 2024): Community Medical Center was one of 39 national hospitals recently recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) for notable achievement in emergency care for stroke treatment.
Excellence in Cancer Care
- Recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs (November 2025): RWJBarnabas Health, together with Rutgers Cancer Institute, has been named among Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs for 2025, the second consecutive year. The list honors health systems that have earned national recognition for their work in driving forward advanced cancer care and research, as well as cancer centers with internationally known specialists, capacity for clinical trials, and exceptional safety ratings.
- Jacqueline M. Wilentz Breast Center Certifications: The Jacqueline M. Wilentz Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center was certified as a quality breast center of excellence by the National Quality Measures for Breast Centers, one of only the first two NJ facilities to achieve this top certification level. Additionally, it was named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Commission on Quality and Safety and the Commission on Breast Imaging, being the first facility in NJ and 20th in the US to earn this designation.
Excellence in Cardiac Care
- Recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs (February 2026): RWJBarnabas Health is home to one of the top ten largest heart transplant programs in total transplanted adult heart volume in the nation, and the most comprehensive pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery programs in NJ. The system’s four principal heart centers—Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, RWJUH New Brunswick, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and Jersey City Medical Center—are each individually award-winning cardiac hospitals with an integrated and expert team of cardiac specialists.
Excellence in Orthopedic Care
- Recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Orthopedic Programs (November 2025): RWJBarnabas Health has been recognized for its leading orthopedic care, offering minimally invasive treatments, forward-thinking research, and breakthrough clinical trials that significantly improve patient outcomes.
- Advanced Orthopedic Certification (November 2024): Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton and its Orthopedic Center of Excellence received reaccreditations by The Joint Commission (TJC), the nation’s largest health accreditation agency, for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery, Advanced Total Hip & Knee Replacement, and Primary Stroke Center Certification.
Excellence in Neurology
- Recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 List of 100 Great Neuro & Spine Programs (December 2025): Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), was recognized in Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Great Neuro & Spine Programs” for the third consecutive year. Becker’s Hospital Review identifies hospitals for its annual list based on their superior patient outcomes, innovative surgical techniques and trailblazing research efforts.
Excellence in Bariatric Care
- The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Bariatric Surgery Certification (May 2025): Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Bariatric Surgery Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. Only five hospitals in the United States have achieved this certification.
Excellence in Health Equity
- NJBIZ Empowering Women (November 2024): RWJBarnabas Health was recognized as one of the 2024 Empowering Women honorees by NJBIZ. This esteemed award celebrates organizations across New Jersey that demonstrate a profound commitment to empowering and uplifting women in the workplace.
Excellence in Nursing
- NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders) Recognition (January 2025): Nine facilities were recognized as NICHE hospitals by NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, acknowledging the hospitals' specialized care for older adult patients and dedication to patient- and family-centered care.
- NCPD Premier Award by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (October 2024): RWJBarnabas Health received a 2024 NCPD Premier Award by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Accreditation Program™. Recipients are exceptional organizations that successfully leveraged NCPD interventions to demonstrate a return on investment that aligns with the organization’s strategic goals. The NCPD Premier Award recognizes accredited organizations that excel in providing high-quality nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) activities.
Excellence in Behavioral Health
- Becker’s Hospital Review Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Programs (May 2025): RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 60 hospitals and health systems with great psychiatry and behavioral health programs list for 2024. The list recognizes organizations that are committed to treating mental health as a vital part of overall wellbeing, providing support for the psychiatric, emotional and behavioral needs of their patients.
Additional Recognitions
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital Recognized Among 2025’s “100 Great Hospitals in America" by Becker’s Hospital Review (December 2025): Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH), part of the RWJBarnabas Health Children’s Health network of care, were recognized Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of “Great Hospitals in America” for the second year for their exceptional clinical performance, unwavering focus on patient safety, and dedication to innovation, research and education, and their commitment to delivering outstanding patient experiences.
- Becker’s Hospital Review 64 Simulation and Education Programs to Know (February 2025): RWJBarnabas Health has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 64 Simulation and Education Programs to Know list for 2025.The list celebrates hospitals and health systems with exceptional simulation and education programs across the U.S. The organizations on the list are dedicated to advancing their workforce and service lines through state-of-the-art technology and lifelike simulation programs.
- Hospitals of Excellence (July 2025): Children’s Specialized Hospital, Clara Maas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and RWJUH Somerset were named to Becker’s list of 100 Great Community Hospitals, recognizing their outstanding contributions to community healthcare.
- Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (August 2024): Community Medical Center recently achieved reaccreditation from Surgical Review Corporation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, recognizing the hospital's commitment and high standard of delivery of quality patient care and safety.
For a list of the awards and recognitions at our facilities, please click on the corresponding links below:
- Children's Specialized Hospital
- Clara Maass Medical Center
- Community Medical Center
-
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
(formerly Saint Barnabas Medical Center) - Jersey City Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
- Robert Wood University Hospital Somerset
- Trinitas Regional Medical Center