HMH children’s hospitals (at HUMC and Jersey Shore) named tops in state by U.S. News for third straight year

RWJBH’s group, led by Bristol Myers Squibb at RWJUH, named No. 2

The Hackensack Meridian Health children’s hospitals at Hackensack University Medical Center (JM Sanzari) and Jersey Shore Medical Center (K Hovnanian) were named as the top children’s hospitals in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report for the third consecutive year.

In the children’s hospital rankings, services are ranked by system.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at RWJ University Hospital in New Brunswick was rated as No. 2 in the state.

In addition to earning the top spot, the Sanzari/Hovnanian combo was ranked in the Top 50 nationally in three specialties: Behavioral health (there was no specific ranking), Diabetes & Endocrinology (No. 45) and Urology (No. 49).

The BMS Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick was ranked in the Top 50 in two specialties: Orthopedics (No. 47) and Urology (No. 35).

HMH CEO Bob Garrett obviously was delighted by the recognition – but noted the hope all parents have of not having to use the services.

“While it’s never easy to have to bring your child to the hospital, we hope to be able to provide parents some comfort in knowing they have access to nationally recognized care at one of Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health hospitals,” he said.

“Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health strives to offer accessible, compassionate, and expert care in a comfortable environment to our youngest patients. This year’s top ranking from U.S. News and World Report underscores the exceptional care we have always provided and continue to provide, as well as the dedication of our world-class team members.”

Dr. Jose Azar, the chief quality officer at HMH, said the system’s services are ready as needed.

“Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health is leading the way in transforming pediatric health care, providing cutting-edge treatments and family-centered care,” he said. “We continue to set new standards in children’s health care, and we look forward to providing high-quality, safe, innovative care that families can rely on.”

For the complete list, click here.

Methodology: To calculate the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, U.S. News, together with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected and analyzed data from 108 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists.

In nine specialties, a third of each hospital’s score, or 33.3%, is tied to outcomes such as survival, infections and surgical complications (in cardiology & heart surgery, outcomes counted for 38.3% and in the newly added pediatric & adolescent behavioral health specialty, outcomes counted for 20%).

More than 50% is based on metrics of each hospital’s commitment to patient safety (for example, as demonstrated by adherence to practices that have been proven to prevent infections), clinical resources (such as the number of fellowship programs), family centeredness (such as the degree to which families are involved in their children’s care) and other objective measures of excellence.

Based on an annual survey of pediatric specialists and subspecialists, averaged over a three-year period in each of the 11 specialties, expert opinion made up the final 10% in ten specialties and 5% in cardiology & heart surgery.

U.S. News surveyed more than 36,000 physicians to collect their expert opinions about the best pediatric hospitals within their clinical specialties.