Southern Ocean Medical Center Receives Half Century Nod from American Hospital Association

From left: SOMC Nursing Patient Care Director Jennifer Dumawal; AHA Regional Executive Michael Draine; SOMC President Brian Walch; SOMC Clinical Services Director Carl Maslag

Manahawkin, N.J. - November 5, 2026 – The American Hospital Association (AHA) announced that it has honored Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center (SOMC) in appreciation of its 50 years of participation and leadership in the AHA. 

“The American Hospital Association is proud to recognize Southern Ocean Medical Center for 50 years of membership in the AHA and for their continued commitment to serving their patients in Ocean County,” said AHA Regional Executive Michael Draine, who recently presented the award to hospital leadership. “We thank their leaders, caregivers and other staff for their dedication to improving health and providing the highest quality care.”

“We are honored to be recognized for a half-century of membership and are incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with the American Hospital Association,” said SOMC President and Chief Hospital Executive Brian Walch. “As stewards of our community, we share a unified mission with the AHA to ensure the best possible health for the residents of southern Ocean County and beyond. This recognition is a testament to our amazing team members, whose dedication and clinical expertise make this high-quality care possible every single day.”

Founded in 1972, Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center (SOMC) is a 176-bed hospital featuring 230 physicians across 40+ specialties. SOMC is recognized for excellence in maternity care, stroke care, and surgical safety, with a highly decorated cardiovascular program that has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll and the ACC’s 2024 Gold Performance Achievement Award in Chest Pain - MI Registry. SOMC is rated High Performing in Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma by U.S. News & World Report (2026-2027), and features an ASMBS-designated Center of Excellence for bariatric surgery. As part of a landmark investment in community health, SOMC is currently expanding to six state-of-the-art operating rooms to enhance its robust robotics program, utilizing the da Vinci Xi™ Surgical System to deliver superior, minimally invasive surgical care.

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(Photo credit: Hackensack Meridian Health)