Press Release
Date: 05-30-12Name: Tiffany L. Smith Phone: 973 972 1025
Email: smithtl@umdnj.edu
UMDNJ-University Hospital Recognized for Performance in Leapfrog Quality Program
|
of patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. As a result of its strong showing in BCBSNJ�s Leapfrog Survey for 2011, UMDNJ-The University Hospital received an award in excess of $139,000.
�I�m beyond proud to work with your hospital,� said Tom McQuade, hospital account executive, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, after presenting the hospital with a commemorative check during the recognition event. �Hospitals are the foundation of our community.�
"UMDNJ-The University Hospital continues its commitment to put our patients first by ensuring high quality, safe care in a transparent manner,� said Vincent Barba, MD, FACP, FHM, CPPS, Chief Quality Officer at UMDNJ-The University Hospital and UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. �We are constantly working to improve the quality of care we deliver at UMDNJ-The University Hospital," he added.
Dr. Barba, who also is an attending physician in the Department of Medicine at UMDNJ-The University Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine and assistant professor of preventive medicine and community health at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, added that the Leapfrog Survey result confirms the hospital�s commitment to the highest standards in healthcare.
The Leapfrog Group is a voluntary program for health providers. By focusing the purchasing power of employers that insure their workers, it seeks to demonstrate to America�s health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be recognized and rewarded.
The organization has several initiatives, including working with its employer members to encourage transparency and easy access to health care information as well as rewards for hospitals that have a proven record of high quality care.
According to the Leapfrog Group, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the gold standard for comparing hospitals� performance on the national standards of safety, quality, and efficiency that are most relevant to consumers and purchasers of care. It evaluates and publicly reports hospitals� performance on a standardized, national measure set composed of quality and resource utilization measures, Hospital Care Quality Information from the Consumer Perspective (HCAHPS) survey results and adherence to patient safety practices that are known to prevent medical errors. Horizon BCBSNJ offers financial and public recognition to hospitals that demonstrate this commitment to high quality health care.
UMDNJ-The University Hospital is one of the United States' leading university medical centers and the principal teaching hospital for University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS). Located in the Central Ward of Newark, the hospital offers the highest quality of care across many medical specialties.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is New Jersey�s only health sciences university with more than 6,000 students on five campuses attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and New Jersey�s only school of public health. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, which provides a continuum of healthcare services with multiple locations throughout the state.
Photo: (l) to (r): Vincent Barba, MD, FACP, FHM, CPPS, Chief Quality Officer, UMDNJ-The University Hospital and UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School; Tom McQuade, Hospital Account Executive, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; James R. Gonzalez, MPH, FACHE, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, UMDNJ-The University Hospital; Suzanne H. Atkin, MD, FACEP, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, UMDNJ-The University Hospital and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School; and James Daly, CPA, FHFMA, Chief Financial Officer, UMDNJ-The University Hospital with the commemorative check recognizing UMDNJ-The University Hospital�s 2011 Leapfrog Survey achievements.
