Jersey Shore University Medical Center Achieves National Distinction for Lung and Esophageal Cancer Programs

Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® - Lung Cancer Accreditation and Esophageal Cancer Accreditation. The academic medical center was the first in the state to achieve Lung Cancer Accreditation in 2018 and the first and only in the nation to achieve Esophageal Cancer Accreditation. This is the second renewal for Jersey Shore University Medical Center since 2018, when it was awarded both accreditations.

The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and high-quality patient care. “The accreditations speak to our extraordinary cancer and surgical teams and the personalized and innovative care they provide all our patients,” said Thoracic Surgeon Thomas L. Bauer II, M.D., chair of Surgery and chief of Thoracic Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“It is no small feat to achieve state-wide and national recognition in cancer care,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “The communities we serve should rest assured that exemplary, innovative care is available close to home. I’m proud of our teams’ efforts to strive for excellence each and every day.”

Dr. Bauer led the team of Joint Commission reviewers during their rigorous, unannounced onsite review earlier this year. The team evaluated the lung cancer and esophageal cancer programs’ compliance with quality standards in such areas as infection prevention and control, environment of care and anesthesia management, among other areas.

“These elite accreditations show that Jersey Shore University Medical Center is an established leader in lung and esophageal cancer care, as the only medical center in the nation with accreditations in both specialties. I’m proud of our teams’ efforts to provide the highest standards of care for cancer patients,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, R.N., MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Jersey Shore University Medical Center for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

For more information about Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s cancer services, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Services/Cancer-Care/Cancer-Locations. To make an appointment with a physician, call 833-CANCER-MD.