Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center Earns 2023 Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital Award
December 08, 2023
Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health system, announced today that Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center was nationally recognized for its achievements in patient safety and quality. Jersey Shore University Medical Center was named a Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers known as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to providing safe, high-quality care to the communities we serve,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center is one of the top hospitals in New Jersey and the region, and this latest recognition from the Leapfrog Group is just another example of how our world-class team members at Jersey Shore University Medical Center continue to set a high standard.”
The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive.
More than 2,100 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Jersey Shore University Medical Center received a Top Teaching distinction. A total of 132 Top Hospitals were selected, including:
- 8 Top Children’s
- 34 Top General
- 15 Top Rural
- 75 Top Teaching
“This is a welcomed recognition and considering that our academic medical center also received its sixth consecutive “A’ grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group this year, I’m extremely grateful for all our team members’ efforts to provide the best care and experience for our patients,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, mortality rates,, and the hospital’s initiatives to support patient safety, including practices for safer surgery preventing falls and medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
“Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”
To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.