RWJBarnabas Health announced today that Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset has become the first hospital in New Jersey and only the fourth hospital or health system in the country to earn the prestigious Health Equity Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
“This designation is a testament to RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to addressing health disparities in our communities and the social determinants that impact health outcomes,” said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Our mission is to make our communities healthier. We achieve this not only by caring for the sick and injured but also by ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have access to healthy food, reliable transportation, and housing. Implementing these standards is part of our broader effort to create far-reaching access to health care and social services.”
NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation recognizes leading organizations that meet or exceed rigorous requirements in the following areas: organizational readiness; race/ethnicity, language, gender identity and sexual orientation; access and availability of language services; practitioner network cultural responsiveness; culturally and linguistically appropriate services programs; and reducing health care disparities.
“This is a tremendous achievement and one for which the entire team at RWJUH Somerset should be proud,” said Dr. Andy Anderson, EVP and Chief Medical and Quality Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Our commitment at RWJBarnabas Health is to provide medical treatment that is uniquely tailored to each of our diverse patients and their needs.”
RWJUH Somerset serves a culturally diverse population that speaks over 50 languages and has prioritized efforts to reduce health disparities and improve patient health outcomes.
“Health equity is a priority at RWJUH Somerset,” said Deirdre Blaus, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset. “From our buy-local-hire-local supplier diversity programs to employing a team at all levels who reflect the cultural diversity of the communities we serve and making investments in language services to ensure our medical and support staff can communicate seamlessly with patients, we work every day to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for all patients.”
In addition to RWJUH Somerset being home to the Babs Siperstein PROUD Center, the first in the state to provide specialized primary health care services to the LGBTQ+ community, the hospital has several initiatives to address health equity in underserved, uninsured and vulnerable communities, including:
- Donating 5,100 pounds of surplus food from its cafeteria to deliver over 4,100 meals through the Share My Meals program to help support families who are experiencing food insecurity
- Providing transitional housing through the Healing Homes program to patients who had an illness that caused a financial hardship and are unable to afford housing
- Promoting exercise and healthy living for children in underserved urban communities through the creation of the RWJUH Somerset Community Field in Bound Brook in partnership with the Players Development Academy (PDA) Urban Initiative, which provides premier soccer turf facilities, coaching and playing opportunities to keep kids active
- Providing bilingual health information and education, as well as a Latino outreach coordinator, through the hospital’s Community Health Department for diabetes and breast cancer prevention, as well as separate programs in African American communities to encourage and educate about mammograms, prostate and cancer screenings
- Employing culturally competent and language-proficient patient navigators in the area’s Hispanic, Indian and Chinese communities to specifically to assist patients with making medical appointments, arranging round-trip transportation for medical appointments, finding specialty doctors, filling out forms, accompanying patients to treatments at both the hospital and doctors’ offices, and providing translation/interpretation services.
“Cultural competency is crucial to providing high quality health care,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Organizations achieving Health Equity Accreditation are leaders in closing the ethnic and racial disparities gap, and NCQA commends them for their dedication.”
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care.
RWJBarnabas Health also announced that each of its other hospitals and the system will pursue NCQA Health Care Accreditation in 2025.
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ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, 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 Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children’s hospitals, Children’s Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation 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 two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers – with more than 41,000 employees and 9,000 physicians– and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health 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 Care. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.