Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for its Ventricular Assist Device Program Re-Certification by demonstrating ongoing compliance with its performance standards.
The gold seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health-care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. This is the fifth consecutive time that RWJUH, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has achieved this designation.
The re-certification recognizes health-care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for ventricular assist device support for patients with end-stage heart failure. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.
The VAD program is part of RWJUH’s Advanced Heart Failure, VAD and Transplant Program, which offers care for end-stage heart failure patients, including left ventricular assist devices, access to clinical trials, and Medicare-certified heart transplant services. RWJUH has dedicated a multidisciplinary team of physicians, coordinators, nurse practitioners, a social worker and a nutritionist solely for the program.
In addition to The Joint Commission re-certification, RWJUH’s heart transplant and VAD programs were recently named Centers of Excellence by OPTUM, the largest private health insurance company in the United States.
“As a leading academic medical center, we are proud to offer residents of our state and region advanced therapies, such as VADs and heart transplants in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS),” said Dr. Maya Guglin, section chief, heart failure, RWJUH and professor of medicine, RWJMS. “This re-certification and the Optum Center of Excellence designation affirm RWJUH’s position as a leader in VAD and heart failure technology.”
RWJUH’s VAD program underwent a rigorous, onsite review in May. During the visit, the Joint Commission reviewer met with many members of the institution’s VAD team. The reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards including clinical information management, performance measurement, program management, supporting self-management, as well as delivering and facilitating clinical care.
