Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has been honored with national awards from the American Heart Association (AHA) for its exceptional commitment to rapid, research-based cardiac care.
The hospital received the Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, as well as the Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Bronze Achievement Award.
The STEMI Receiving Center Gold award highlights RWJUH’s around-the-clock capabilities in treating severe ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs)—a life-threatening type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery. According to the AHA’s latest statistics, more than 1.2 million people are hospitalized annually in the U.S. for acute coronary syndrome, with roughly 30% classified as STEMI cases.
“Receiving national recognition from the American Heart Association is a testament to the exceptional skill, dedication, and teamwork of our cardiovascular physicians, nurses, emergency medical services partners, and clinical staff,” Dr. Maya Guglin, Interim Chief of Cardiology at RWJUH and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), said. “For patients experiencing the most serious type of heart attack, every minute matters.”
In addition to STEMI care, the hospital earned the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll distinction, ensuring that hospitalized heart attack patients with Type 2 diabetes receive specialized, up-to-date care to mitigate higher complication risks.
Alongside its heart attack accolades, RWJUH secured the Heart Failure Bronze Achievement Award. This designation recognizes hospitals that demonstrate consistent adherence to nationally recognized treatment guidelines for at least 90 consecutive days, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing hospital readmissions.
“Pursuing clinical excellence is at the heart of everything we do at RWJUH,” RWJUH President Alan Lee, said. “This achievement is the result of our continued investment in innovative technology, our commitment to advancing groundbreaking research with our academic partners at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a culture rooted in learning and sharing best practices.”
As part of the RWJBarnabas Health Heart and Vascular network and certified by The Joint Commission, RWJUH’s Comprehensive Cardiac Center stands as both a state and national leader. Key programmatic highlights include:
- National Recognition: Designated as a National Rare Disease Center of Excellence by NORD and an International Center of Excellence for Amyloidosis by the ISA.
- Advanced Heart Failure Program: Offering LVADs, clinical trials, and a Medicare-certified heart transplantation service.
- Specialized Critical Care: Featuring a dedicated Extracorporeal Life Support (ECMO) program and a state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).
- Cutting-Edge Technology: Housing advanced cardiovascular operating rooms and one of the busiest, most technologically advanced cardiac catheterization labs in New Jersey, which has performed over 12,000 procedures.
