For Immediate Release
September 20, 2007
Contact: Michael Valentino
732-751-7538
mvalentino@meridianhealth.com

DOES YOUR HOSPITAL MAKE THE GRADE?

Meridian Health Rated Tops in Monmouth and Ocean Counties for Hospital Quality

Neptune, NJ - The 2007 Hospital Performance Report released by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) shows that the hospitals of Meridian Health consistently provide among the very best clinical care in New Jersey. Meridian's hospitals include Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, and Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank.

The state's annual Hospital Performance Report, available online at www.nj.gov/health/hpr, measures all the state's hospitals treatment of heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical infection prevention - four critical areas that reflect a hospital's overall clinical quality. The 2007 report data ranks Meridian Health among the top three health systems in the state, with each Meridian hospital ranked in the top 15 hospitals, and the top three in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

"We are extremely proud of these results which validate our long history of delivering consistent, quality care for our patients," says John K. Lloyd, FACHE, president of Meridian Health. "While our physicians and hospitals have always provided quality care, we strongly support this type of information sharing among hospitals, and applaud the state for producing this annual performance report, which helps all New Jersey hospitals benchmark their efforts and continuously improve."

The report also showed Jersey Shore and Riverview as the top hospitals overall in Monmouth County, both also ranking among the top 10% in the state for the treatment of heart attack. Ocean Medical Center was rated the top hospital overall in Ocean County, and ranked among the top 10% for preventing surgical infections.

The state has traditionally evaluated the three areas of heart attack, pneumonia and congestive heart failure and for the first time this year, also evaluated data on surgical infection prevention. These categories are also measures reviewed at the federal level by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and are widely recognized as reliable indications of a hospital's overall quality. For example, one of the heart attack indicators measures how consistently a hospital provides aspirin upon discharge, a practice that has been accepted as a proven method of reducing the likelihood of a future heart attack.

Lloyd notes, "Hospitals that perform well in this report are hospitals have not only made quality performance an overall priority, but also have dedicated physician champions. At Meridian, we are very grateful to have excellent physicians who embrace evidence-based medicine and quality improvement initiatives, and who are equally dedicated to delivering a consistent high level of care for patients."

"Collaboration at every level in our hospitals is key," agrees David M. Siegel, M.D., J.D., senior vice president of Clinical Effectiveness and Medical Affairs at Meridian. "Meridian's physicians and staff are committed to providing the very best care for patients in New Jersey, and our scores reflect this level of excellence. We maintain a strong vision and commitment to ongoing quality improvement, and I'm confident that Meridian will continue to lead in the region and the state."

As chief quality officer at Meridian Health, Dr. Siegel serves as the key physician leader in all initiatives related to patient quality and clinical excellence, working in collaboration with Meridian's management, medical and clinical staffs. With over 25 years of experience in various clinical leadership positions at hospitals and health care institutions throughout the United States, Dr. Siegel's vast experience and expertise is instrumental in Meridian's continuing journey in clinical excellence and quality care.

"While we are very encouraged by these results and the usefulness of the data, it is important to highlight that no single study or source should be used to judge a hospital's overall quality," says Dr. Siegel. "We encourage health care consumers to learn all they can about quality and patient safety. Reports such as this, hospital web sites, recommendations from family and friends, and the opinion of a trusted physician or clinical expert are also important sources of information."

The measures evaluated as part of the state report are just one of many performance improvement initiatives in which Meridian Health is engaged. Meridian has established a Clinical Excellence Committee comprised of physicians, nurses, and clincians from each of Meridian?s hospitals that reguarly review clinical performance, apply national evidence-based best practices, and lead the hospitals in estalishing and continually raising the standards of clinical care.

Meridian Health was an early participant in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign, the largest quality improvement effort ever undertaken in the United States. As part of the campaign, Meridian instituted several initiatives focusing on reducing infections, complications and adverse outcomes through the implementation of proven, evidence-based, practices and procedures. In addition, Meridian participated in an innovative Intensive Care Unit collaborative, which allowed Meridian to openly share data and experiences with other hospitals to identify ICU best practices.

Meridian's quality efforts were recognized in 2005 when Meridian was one of only three health care organizations in the nation to receive the prestigious John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality, a national award bestowed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Quality Forum (NQF).

In recent years, Riverview Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center were the first hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties named "Distinguished Hospitals for Inpatient Service Excellence," by J.D. Power and Associates. And, Jersey Shore University Medical Center was the first hospital in the region to receive the New Jersey Governor's Award for Performance Excellence. Meridian was also the very first health system in the nation to receive the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence at each of its member hospitals.

"All the success and recognition we receive is the result of collaboration, with the entire team wanting the best possible results for our patients," says Lloyd. "At Meridian, we believe that quality patient care is a journey, not a destination. For us, it's about supporting a culture of quality improvement that continues to grow; as soon as we reach one goal, we already see another goal on the horizon to work toward."

Meridian Health is a family of not-for-profit health care organizations comprising Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Meridian Partner Companies that include home care agencies, long-term and assisted living communities, ambulatory care, ambulance services, and occupational health located throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties. Meridian Health has been named one of the best places to work in New Jersey for two consecutive years. For more information, please call the Meridian Health Line at 1-800-560-9990 or visit us on the web at www.meridianhealth.com.

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