Program is one of only five in the country to achieve this certification
(New Brunswick, NJ) – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Bariatric Surgery Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The certification cycle is effective for a two-year period.
The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. It is the program’s fourth consecutive recertification. Only five hospitals in the United States have achieved this certification.
The certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for bariatric surgery. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.
RWJUH underwent a rigorous virtual review in March. During the review, a surveyor evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients.
“Achieving this certification is testament to our team’s skill, compassion and dedication to providing exceptional care for our patients throughout their entire individual bariatric surgery journey, from pre-operative education through post-operative support,” said Bill Arnold, President and Chief Executive Officer of RWJUH. “We’re proud that the Joint Commission has recognized our program’s commitment to quality and patient safety.”
The Bariatric Surgery Center at RWJUH offers a comprehensive medical and surgical program for both adults and adolescents dedicated to making a lifestyle change. RWJUH’s comprehensive bariatric surgery program not only includes surgical options, but provides metabolic medicine and addresses individuals’ weight loss goals with medical and nutritional therapy.
“With Joint Commission certification, patients can be assured that our Bariatric Surgery Center is focused on safety, efficacy and providing the highest standard of care,” notes Ragui Sadek, MD, FACS, Chief of Bariatric Service Line for RWJBarnabas Health and Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Our Center brings together a broad range of highly skilled specialists who work together to develop a personalized care plan for patients, especially high-risk patients, based on their specific medical needs, and individual weight loss and lifestyle goals.”
As an award-winning hospital system, RWJBarnabas Health has received numerous accreditations and recognitions from state and national organizations. RWJBarnabas Health’s Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery program has been awarded accreditation by The American College of Surgeons. This accreditation program, known as MBSAQIP (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program), certifies that the program has met standards of the MBSAQIP by providing high-quality and patient-centered care.
For more information about Bariatric Surgery at RWJUH and RWJBH.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 640-bed academic medical center that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and other Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. Learn more at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick.
Contact: Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
(732) 937-8568