Ocean University Medical Center Receives Patient Safety Excellence Award

BRICK, NJ — Ocean University Medical Center in Brick has been honored for patient safety, one of 13 in New Jersey to receive the honor from Healthgrades, a comprehensive database of ratings and comparisons for physicians, hospitals and health care providers.

It is the third year in a row that Ocean University Medical Center has received the Patient Safety Excellence Award, which this year was presented to 445 hospitals in 44 states.

“At Ocean University Medical Center, we strive for excellence in providing safe patient care,” said Frank Citara, president and chief hospital executive at Ocean University Medical Center, part of the Hackensack Meridian Health network. “This is an extraordinary achievement and I am so proud of our team of physicians, nurses, and health care professionals who are passionate about patient safety and take it seriously every day.”

The safety awards were presented to the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide. These facilities reported zero instances of foreign objects being left behind after a procedure and also have strong safety records on hospital falls that result in hip fractures, collapsed lungs due to a procedure or surgery, pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, and catheter-related bloodstream infections, according to Healthgrades.

Ocean University Medical Center also has received awards in the past two years for its stroke care in 2021 and 2022, for "superior clinical outcomes in the care and treatment of stroke," and its vascular care in 2021 for "superior clinical outcomes in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, carotid surgery, and peripheral vascular bypass surgery," according to Healthgrades.

The data used by Healthgrades’ data scientists and clinical experts to compile the scorecards is reviewed annually by the company’s internal Quality Advisory Board and the outside Special Clinical Experts board. Learn more about the methodology.

Patch’s national desk contributed to this report.