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Two of Healthgrades‘ much-anticipated awards were released March 12, recognizing the nation’s top facilities for patient safety and experience. 

In New Jersey, 11 earned Patient Safety Excellence Awards, and three nabbed Outstanding Patient Experience Awards. Only one hospital in the Garden State – Saint Luke’s Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg – took home both awards this year. St. Luke’s University Health Network is headquartered in Fountain Hill, Pa. 

According to Healthgrades, the safety honor recognizes hospitals that provide quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays, while the other category celebrates facilities that deliver best-in-class patient experiences. 

“As consumers take a more hands-on approach to their health care journeys, hospital quality should be a top consideration when choosing where to receive care,” Dr. Brad Bowman, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades, said in a statement. “Our goal at Healthgrades is to offer direct, data-driven insights on the hospitals that make the safety and experience of their patients a top priority and consistently deliver exceptional results in this aspect of care.” 

For the final lists, Healthgrades named the hospitals that landed in the top 5% and 10% of all evaluated facilities for safety and the top 5%, 10% and 15% for experience. For safety, 444 hospitals across 44 states were listed, while 388 providers in 46 states earned awards for patient experience.  

Safety first

To determine results for safety, Healthgrades measured “the rate at which serious, potentially preventable complications and adverse events occurred in the hospital.” Researchers looked at industry sources’ inpatient data from 2020 through 2022. 

Safety events included in-hospital falls resulting in fracture, collapsed lung due to procedure or surgery in or around the chest, pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, and catheter-related bloodstream infections. 

2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award | NJ recipients

Top 5% 

• Bayshore Medical Center, Holmdel – Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Chilton Medical Center, Pompton Plains – Atlantic Health System 
• Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack – Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune – Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Ocean University Medical Center, Brick – Hackensack Meridian Health 
• Overlook Medical Center, Summit – Atlantic Health System 
• Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank – Hackensack Meridian Health 

Top 10% 

• Newton Medical Center, Newton – Atlantic Health System
• Saint Luke’s Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg – St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network 
• Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark – Prime Healthcare Services 
• Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick – Saint Peter’s HealthCare System 

How was your experience?

To determine the award winners for patient experience, Healthgrades evaluated patient survey data across 10 measures from short-term, acute care visits from January 2022 through December 2022. 

Healthgrades identified three areas that best predict whether a patient will recommend a hospital to friends and family: doctor communication, nurse communication and clear communication about care when they’re discharged.

2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award | NJ recipients

Top 5%
Saint Luke’s Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg – St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network 

Top 10%
Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Elmer – Inspira Health Network 

Top 15%
Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Browns Mills 

In 2023, 13 New Jersey hospitals were awarded for patient safety, while three earned honors for experience. 

These awards follow closely after Healthgrades unveiled its 2024 America’s Best Hospitals list, with 10 Garden State facilities making the grade.