Saint Barnabas earns 2016 Top Hospital award for 2nd year

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The Leapfrog Group announced recently that Saint Barnabas Medical Center has been named a Top Hospital for the second consecutive year. Widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions a hospital can receive in the United States, the recognition showcases Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s commitment to patient safety and quality, according to the press release.

“Safety is our No. 1 priority,” SBMC President and CEO Stephen P. Zieniewicz said in the press release. “This important recognition highlights the continuous focus of Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s physicians, nursing staff and all of our employees on providing the safest, highest quality care to our patients and their families.”

Saint Barnabas Medical Center received a Top Teaching Hospital distinction, and was one of 115 Top Hospitals recognized across the country. The list includes: nine Top Children’s Hospitals, 56 Top General Hospitals, 21 Top Rural Hospitals and 29 Top Teaching Hospitals.

The selection of Top Hospitals is based on the results of the 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, maternity care and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

“Being acknowledged as a Top Hospital is an incredible feat achieved by less than 3 percent of hospitals nationwide,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in the release. “With this honor, Saint Barnabas Medical Center has established its commitment to safer and higher quality care. Providing this level of care to patients in Livingston and the surrounding communities requires motivation and drive from every team member. I congratulate the board, staff and clinicians, whose efforts made this honor possible.”

To see the full list of institutions honored as 2016 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.