Newark Hospitals Get Nods As Maternity Care, ‘Safety Net’ Leaders

NEWARK, NJ — A pair of hospitals in Newark recently earned nods for providing care to the community.

Earlier this month, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, was named a “Best Maternity Care Hospital” by Newsweek.

The distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Best Maternity Care Hospitals is part of Newsweek’s Best Health Care series, powered by data from The Leapfrog Group.

Newark Beth Israel completed renovation of its 34-bed maternity unit earlier this year.

“We deliver approximately 3,000 babies at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center every year and the health and safety of those newborns and their mothers are our top priority,” President and CEO Darrell Terry said.

“It’s an honor to receive this national designation for providing high quality, safe care and an excellent experience to our expecting families,” Terry said.

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‘SAFETY NET HOSPITALS’

Last week, Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark also earned a high-profile nod when it was named among the top 20 “safety net hospitals” in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine.

Saint Michael’s ranked at no. 17 on the list, which rates hospitals based on their performance in three categories: patient outcomes (mortality, etc.), civic leadership (treating lower-income and minority patients), and value of care (avoiding overtreatment).

“Of all the national awards that Saint Michael’s has received, this one is particularly meaningful because it recognizes that the hospital is serving our community extremely well,” COO Alan Sickles said.

“We are especially proud of our high scores in civic leadership because it reflects our commitment to our social mission of equity, inclusion and community health,” Sickles added, crediting the hospital’s employees for the accolades.

Only four years ago, Saint Michael’s was on the brink of being shuttered when it was purchased out of bankruptcy by Prime Healthcare. Since then, Prime has invested millions to upgrade medical equipment, including tools for treating cancer and cardiac diseases.

For the last four evaluation periods, Saint Michael’s has received an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group for patient safety, and for the last two years in a row, it has received a patient safety excellence award from Healthgrades.

• See related article: Newark Hospital Gets 5-Star Rating From Federal Agency

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