Much will deservedly be made of Hackensack University Medical Center not only being named the No. 1 hospital in the state but also among Top 20 in the country, a first for New Jersey in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report rankings.
But the leaders at Hackensack Meridian Health also take pride in noting they have two hospitals that were ranked in the top ten in New Jersey, as Jersey Shore University Medical Center was ranked No. 5.
U.S. News, which has been ranking hospitals in numerous categories and geographic areas for 36 years, evaluated 96 hospitals in New Jersey this year, with 11 meeting the standard to be recognized as a Best Regional Hospital.
HMH was one of three systems with two honorees on the list.
Atlantic Health took both the No. 2 (Morristown Medical Center) and No. 3 spots (Overlook Medical Center).
RWJBarnabas Health hospitals were in the No. 4 (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – New Brunswick) and No. 8 (Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center) spots.
A look at the Best Regional Hospitals:
1: Hackensack University Medical Center
2: Morristown Medical Center
3: Overlook Medical Center (Summit)
4: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – New Brunswick
5: Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune)
6: The Valley Hospital (Paramus)
7: Cooper University Health Care (Camden)
8: Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston)
9: AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center – Atlantic City
10 (tie): Englewood Hospital
10 (tie): Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (Plainsboro)
New Jersey hospitals also fared well on the New York area rankings, with nine making a list of 25.
Hackensack was ranked in a tie for the top spot (the first time a N.J. hospital has been in that position). Morristown Medical Center also earned a Top Ten spot at No. 9.
Others ranked include Overlook (No. 14), RWJU-New Brunswick (No. 17), Jersey Shore (No. 19) Valley (No. 22), Cooperman Barnabas (No. 23), Englewood (No. 24 tie), Penn Medicine Princeton (No. 24 tie).
U.S. News rankings evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide.
In addition to overall quality, it also selected a Top 50 nationally for more than a dozen specialty areas and two dozen procedures and conditions.
HUMC was ranked nationally in 10 specialty areas and determined to be “high performing” — the highest honor — in 23 procedures and conditions (see complete story here).
Morristown Medical Center was nationally ranked in five specialty areas:
Orthopedics: No. 16;
Urology: No. 32;
Gastroenterology & GI Surgery: No. 38
Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery (No. 40-tied)
Diabetes and Endocrinology (No. 49).
Morristown also was rated as high performing nationally in three other areas (Geriatrics, Neurology & Neurosurgery, and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery) — and evaluated as high performing in 23 procedures and conditions.
Morristown Medical Center President Trish O’Keefe was thrilled.
“Year after year, Morristown Medical Center has earned high rankings, which reflect a consistent standard of excellence when it comes to caring for our patients,” she said. “This is all thanks to our dedicated and highly trained medical, clinical, and support professionals that have proved themselves to be some of the nation’s best.”
Overlook Medical Center President Stephanie Schwartz shared her enthusiasm.
“Overlook being recognized as one of the top hospitals in both New Jersey and the nation is a tremendous honor that reflects the exceptional dedication of our physicians, nurses, and team members,” she said. “This ranking is a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering compassionate, innovative, and high-quality care. I am incredibly proud of the entire Overlook family for their relentless pursuit of excellence and their devotion to going above and beyond for every patient we serve.”
Dr. Andy Anderson, the chief medical and quality officer at RWJBarnabas Health, applauded the efforts of the RWJBH team as well.
“Being recognized by U.S. News & World Report reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional, high-quality care to our patients, and to continuous quality improvement,” he said.
“As New Jersey’s academic medical system through our relationship with Rutgers University, our mission is to deliver the safe, effective evidence-based care, based on the latest research. These awards validate our role in building healthier communities across New Jersey.”
