RWJBarnabas Health Earns High Leapfrog Scores for Patient Safety

Five Hospitals Receive "A" Rating; RWJUH Hamilton Sees Highest Increase

West Orange, NJ, May 1, 2024 - Five RWJBarnabas Health facilities were awarded "A" Hospital Safety Score ratings by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The A-rated hospitals are Community Medical Center (CMC) in Toms River, Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC) in Lakewood, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, and RWJUH Rahway.

RWJUH Hamilton experienced the largest increase for RWJBarnabas Health, lifting its score from a "C" to an "A" rating. It was RWJUH Rahway's sixth-straight "A" rating and the third in a row for both CMC and MMCSC. MMC has now received an "A" in 18 of the last 19 ratings after dropping to a "B" last fall. The rating for Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) in Livingston rose from a "C" to a "B." Jersey City Medical Center and RWJUH Somerset also received a "B" rating.

"At RWJBarnabas Health, safety is the number one priority for everyone that comes through our doors," said Andy Anderson, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical and Quality Officer at RWJBarnabas Health. "The hard-working staff at each facility, who day in and day out provide the best patient-centered care, also demonstrate clinical expertise and compassion. We continue to evaluate and implement best practices across the system in our journey to achieving the best possible outcomes at all our facilities."

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 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, 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 eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals - Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, 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 Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children's hospitals, Children's Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation 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 two accountable care organizations.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers - with more than 41,000 employees and 9,000 physicians- and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey's largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health 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 Care.

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 and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC 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
[email protected]