HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
RECEIVES CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL DESIGNATION

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The medical center recently received state designation as a New Jersey Children's Hospital from the New Jersey State Department of Health and Human Services.

"The medical center meets the state's highest standards," said John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Medical Center "This designation sets our program apart from other pediatric programs because of our size and the scope of our commitment to pediatric medicine. It proves that our medical team is one of the most advanced and dedicated facilities for children's healthcare, not only here in New Jersey, but the entire country."

Hackensack University Medical Center received the designation under new legislation passed this past January.

Celebrating Hackensack University Medical Center's state designation as a Children's Hospital, clockwise from bottom left are: Leandro Coba, 4, of Hasbrouck Heights; Gilbert Diaz, 6, of Lodi; Marvin Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D of Wyckoff, chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Hackensack University Medical Center; John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Medical Center; Jeffery Boscamp, M.D., vice-chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Hackensack University Medical Center; and Matthew Galindo, 8, of Lodi.

"This designation has tremendous meaning, not only for those of us at the medical center who have worked so hard to achieve it, but for the young patients we serve," said Marvin I. Gottlieb, M.D., Ph. D of Wyckoff, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. "Parents of children who need medical attention can be assured they're getting the best, cutting-edge care, in a dedicated setting that does not mix adults and children."

The seven-story, DON IMUS-WFAN Pediatric Center for Tomorrows Children opened in 1994 houses all of the medical center's pediatric outpatient diagnostic and treatment services including the Tomorrows Children's Institute (TCI) for Cancer and Blood Disorders, the Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us Institute for Child Development (ICD), the Tomorrows Children's Fund (TCF), the CJ Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the Steven Bader Immunological Institute, and the MOLLY Foundation for Diabetes Research.

"This new designation encompasses not only all of the outpatient services but our inpatient services as well," said Jeffery Boscamp, M.D. of Tenafly, vice-chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. "Over the years our reputation as a leader in the delivery of superior care for children, not only in Northern New Jersey, but in the tri-state area has been well-known. Our commitment to children can only be enhanced by this prestigious designation."

Last year the medical center's Department of Pediatrics was made a full voting member of The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). NACHRI is a not-for-profit profit organization of children's hospitals and related organizations dedicated to promoting the health and well being of children and their families. NACHRI set the standards for the Children's Hospital designation from the New Jersey State Department of Health and Human Services.

"Becoming a Children's Hospital doesn't happen overnight," said Michael Harris, M.D. of Englewood, medical director of TCI. "It comes from the entire team working together for the benefit of all our young patients. You need a chief executive officer and administration who have foresight, and you need an executive committee and board that have the courage of their convictions in making a designation like this happen."

Hackensack University Medical Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School and a member of the University Health System of New Jersey, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state of New Jersey. The medical center has been honored since 1995 as the first hospital in New Jersey to receive the Magnet Award for nursing excellence from The American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the second hospital in the nation to receive a four-year redesignation of this award. The medical center is also the recipient of the Consumer Choice Award in Bergen and Passaic counties for four consecutive years. Based on a survey of 400,000 people to determine the best hospitals in the country, the medical center was named as the hospital of choice for quality of staff, community programs, personalized care, and overall reputation.