Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), has been designated a National Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
RWJUH is the first hospital in the state to receive this designation making New Jersey one of just 26 states to host such a Center of Excellence.
RWJUH and RWJMS were selected for this designation based on the strength and impact of their Cardiac Amyloidosis Center, which was recently named an International Center of Excellence by the International Society of Amyloidosis. RWJUH is part of the RWJBarnabas Health Heart and Vascular network of care.
The center offers multidisciplinary care in cardiology, neurology, hematology, nephrology, pathology and bone marrow transplantation, allowing for precise diagnosis and personalized treatment plans.
“This prestigious designation highlights our academic medical center’s deep commitment to delivering world-class, multidisciplinary care and advancing research that holds the promise of breakthroughs for patients with rare and complex conditions,” says Bill Arnold, CEO of RWJUH, President of the RWJBarnabas Health Southern Region and Executive Vice President at RWJBarnabas Health. “Patients can be confident that a dedicated team of clinicians and researchers is with them every step of the way.”
Launched in 2021, NORD’s Rare Disease Centers of Excellence Program is the first national network dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching the full spectrum of rare diseases.
The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital center will be led by Dr. Sabahat Bokhari as director and Naveena Yanamala co-director. Bokhari serves as professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension at RWJMS and director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging and director of the Cardiac Amyloidosis Center at RWJUH. Yanamala is associate professor of medicine at RWJMS, section chief of clinical research, director of the Center for Innovation at RWJUH and RWJMS and is a recognized leader in data science and AI innovation.
“Their collaborative approach will help build a dynamic network of physicians and researchers united in the mission to address rare diseases through innovation and teamwork,” said Dr. Partho Sengupta, chief of cardiology at RWJUH and RWJMS.
