In a month when St. Joseph’s Health Wayne Medical Campus is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its 20-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation unit — a significant milestone for the hospital — it also is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its clinical affiliation with the Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, another key moment.
St. Joseph’s CEO Kevin Slavin said the acute rehabilitation unit has provided individualized care to thousands of patients to help them regain function and return to an independent lifestyle.
“As we celebrate 20 years of delivering comprehensive, acute inpatient rehabilitation services, I want to thank our dedicated, multidisciplinary rehab team for the outstanding care they provide to every patient — day-in and day-out,” he said. “This high-quality rehabilitation program is a shining example of St. Joseph’s commitment to offering advanced care and leading expertise to meet the health care needs of our entire community.”
Last year, St. Joseph’s Health partnered with Hackensack Meridian Health to bring the expertise of the Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, offering the highest levels of rehabilitation medicine.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top acute rehabilitation hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, with leading experts and specialty programs, the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute services has elevated the level of care at St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center, Slavin said.
HMH CEO Bob Garrett said the system is happy for the partnership.
“Throughout the state, our rehab experts have been improving lives through their vast expertise in healing and restoring quality of life after a serious illness or traumatic episode,” he said. “This affiliation has placed our advanced services closer to home for residents of northern New Jersey.”
For more than 50 years, the nationally acclaimed JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, located in Edison, has been a leader in the field, breaking ground in the areas of stroke rehabilitation, innovative orthopedic programs, cutting-edge sports rehab and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
Dr. Roger Rossi, the medical director at the acute rehabilitation unit, said the partnership is having impact.
“We are grateful for the collaborative approach to care and for the opportunity to help more patients in their journey to recovery from a debilitating medical condition or accident,” he said.
Dr. Sara Cuccurullo, chair and vice president and medical director of JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, said the partnership has been great.
“The success of this program at St. Joseph’s has exceeded our expectations,” she said. “Our highly trained experts are advancing the work in helping patients reach their highest levels of recovery.”
