Two Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Recognized as Centers of Excellence for TCAR Stroke Prevention Procedure
March 22, 2019
Edison, NJ - Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most integrated health network, has two hospitals that have been named 2018 Centers of Excellence by the developer of an advanced stroke prevention procedure. Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack are the only facilities in New Jersey to earn the distinction from Silk Road Medical for performing the TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) procedure.
TCAR is an innovative treatment that dramatically reduces the risk of stroke in patients with blocked carotid arteries, the major blood vessels that deliver blood to the brain. The minimally invasive procedure uses a FDA-approved neuroprotection system that temporarily reverses blood flow in the artery during the procedure to prevent dangerous plaque from traveling to the brain and causing a stroke.
“We are proud to offer this cutting-edge treatment option for high-risk patients across New Jersey and the region,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Hackensack Meridian Health continues to lead the way in innovation, employing the latest technology to provide patients with the world-class, patient-centered care they deserve.”
Dr. Nasir Khan at Jersey Shore University Medical Center began performing TCAR in May 2017 and the medical center was designated a Center of Excellence in 2017. This is the first year that Hackensack University Medical Center earned Center of Excellence designation, having started performing the TCAR procedure the end of 2017. Both facilities were recognized for their commitment to this advanced technique and for their high quality outcomes.
Usman Nasir Khan, M.D., FACS, chief of vascular surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and David O’Connor, M.D., FACS, vascular surgeon and director of vascular research and assistant clinical professor of surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, are two of the few credentialed physicians in New Jersey to perform TCAR. Drs. Khan and O’Connor are among the first in the country to gain expertise with the TCAR procedure.
“Our team is honored to be designated a Center of Excellence for a second year, recognizing our commitment to excellence in patient care and outcomes,” said Dr. Khan. “We’re proud to offer such a revolutionary procedure to address carotid artery disease with a much lower risk of stroke as compared to more traditional approaches.”
“Our team enthusiastically embraced this cutting-edge procedure and is grateful for this special recognition,” added Dr. O’Connor. “We are committed to offering the most advanced treatment options, especially those that help us prevent stroke in patients who are higher risk for traditional surgery, many of whom were previously considered untreatable.”
TCAR allows physicians to perform a minimally-invasive procedure through a tiny incision in the lower neck that offers a safe alternative compared to traditional surgery, opening the door for many new patients to be safely and effectively treated. Further expanding this level of expertise throughout the Hackensack Meridian Health network, Vikalp Jain, M.D., RPVI recently began performing TCAR at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, the only hospital in Ocean County to offer the advanced technique.
For more information about TCAR or cardiovascular services offered at Hackensack Meridian Health, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org.
About Hackensack Meridian Health
Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.
Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood; a behavioral health hospital – Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.
Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has more than 34,100 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
The network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” The network was also named to Becker’s Healthcare’s “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018” list.
The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of 60 students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. More than 4,000 applicants applied for the second class which will consist of approximately 90 students. The school will address a growing shortage of physicians and dramatic changes in health care delivery. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.
Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.
For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.