Hospital In Livingston Says It's Working On Improvements After Leapfrog Rating

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Hospitals around New Jersey responded this week to newly released safety ratings published by the Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog group.

Since the grades for each hospital took into account pandemic care, some hospitals slid in the ratings.

The pandemic has had a negative effect on "health care delivery at every level and setting, from staffing shortages to increased infections to the very care patients receive," according to the Adult Patient Experience at Acute Care Hospitals survey, also released Tuesday by The Leapfrog Group.

Nineteen of the hospitals earned a "C" rating, including two in Essex County, Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

Cooperman had received an "A" rating in 2021. In fact, it was the only hospital in New Jersey to do so. READ MORE: Livingston Hospital Raising The Bar For NJ, Leapfrog Group Says

When asked for a response on Tuesday, Cooperman released this statement from President and CEO Richard Davis:

“Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is committed to delivering safe, high quality care to our patients and their loved ones. We are continually refining clinical practices and processes to enhance patient outcomes. As a High Reliability Organization, we remain dedicated to delivering excellent patient care and returning the organization to the 'A' grade."

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a fully accredited acute care hospital and offers services including advanced cancer care, neurology and neurosurgery services including a neuro-interventional lab, and cardiac care featuring three cardiac catheterization labs. Read more about it here.

• Read about the Leapfrog ratings for New Jersey hospitals here.

Patch Editor Josh Bakan contributed to this report.

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