Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has earned a Comprehensive Cardiac Center designation from The Joint Commission.
RWJUH is the first program in New Jersey to achieve this designation, as well as the 26th in the United States to actively retain it.
The Comprehensive Cardiac Center designation is awarded to hospitals that serve as the central hub of a regional cardiac care system, providing treatment across the full spectrum of cardiovascular conditions.
The designation follows a multi-year process that includes data collection and submission of evidence to The Joint Commission. RWJUH underwent a two-day onsite review in December, during which Joint Commission surveyors evaluated the hospital’s compliance with certification standards developed in consultation with healthcare providers, measurement experts and patients.
Additionally, the facility earned a Heart-Check Mark for Disease-Specific Certification from the American Heart Association.
The AHA Heart-Check Mark for acute care facilities indicates that a hospital meets established standards for heart and stroke care, including treatment for heart failure, heart attack and stroke. The designation, which is often displayed alongside The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal, reflects the hospital’s use of evidence-based guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
TJC highlighted several best practices and protocols at RWJUH, including its radial artery compression device (TR Band) protocol, minimally invasive valve procedures, cardiothoracic extubation on the operating room table, and multiple nationally recognized best practices and publications from the Structural Heart Program.
RWJUH President Alan Lee credited the designation to staff efforts and collaboration with Rutgers.
“Our achievement as the first comprehensive cardiac center in New Jersey is the direct result of our team’s dedication to providing the complete spectrum of heart and vascular services,” he said. “This designation is possible thanks to our partnership with physician leaders at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and our close collaboration with community physicians that has always been the hallmark of our academic medical center.”
