West Orange, NJ, December 11, 2020 – RWJBarnabas Health announces several of its facilities have been recognized by The American Heart Association (AHA) / American Stroke Association for cardiac and stroke care earning a spot on the 2020 Get With The Guidelines® awards list in the stroke, heart failure and resuscitation categories. The awards recognize each hospitals’ commitment to ensuring stroke and heart failure patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick were honored with the Stroke Gold Plus award with Honor Roll mention. Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch was recognized with the Heart Failure Gold Plus award and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark was recognized with the Resuscitation Gold Audit award.
The RWJBarnabas Health facilities earned the Get with The Guidelines® awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke and heart treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for patients. As part of the criteria, before discharge, patients were required to receive education on managing their overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“The recognition from the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association is a testament and dedication to the interdisciplinary teamwork throughout RWJBarnabas Health,” said James Andrews, MHL, Senior Vice President, Cardiac and Neurological Services, RWJBarnabas Health. “The framework developed to achieve these awards allow us to track and measure quality, exceed evidenced-based clinical guidelines, and provide superior patient outcomes. Receiving this recognition reflects positively on the clinicians and staff that made it happen as well as the overall mission of RWJBarnabas Health to deliver quality and compassionate care for each patient we serve. The teams in Somerset, Jersey City, New Brunswick, Monmouth, Newark, and across our medical group allow the health system as a whole to truly stand behind that mission.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death, a leading cause of adult disability in the United States and more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. However, both heart failure patients and stroke patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their conditions are managed with proper medications or devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.
RWJBarnabas Health offers New Jersey’s most comprehensive cardiac and vascular care program. For more information or to make an appointment with one of New Jersey’s top cardiac specialists, visit rwjbh.org/heart.
ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes eleven acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, three acute care children’s hospitals and a leading pediatric rehabilitation hospital with a network of outpatient centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and an accountable care organization.
RWJBH is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 35,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBH and Rutgers University have partnered to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBH with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health.
Contact: Carrie Cristello
973-322-4642
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org