HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S 50 BEST HOSPITALS FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

HACKENSACK, NJ (February 25, 2008) – Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) announced today that its superior clinical performance ranks it among America’s 50 Best Hospitals, according to HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company. HUMC is the only hospital in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named to the list. 2008 marks the second consecutive year HUMC has achieved this honor. According to HealthGrades, America’s 50 Best Hospitals have a 27 percent lower mortality rate, on average, than all other U.S. hospitals.

The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals designation is the only national hospital quality rating based solely on clinical outcomes, recognizing hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over an eight-year time period. HealthGrades analyzed tens of millions of Medicare patient records from 1999-2006 to identify this elite group of world class facilities. These hospitals have achieved higher survival rates and lower complication rates, not in just one or two clinical specialties, but aggregated across 27 different medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes.

“In study after study, Hackensack University Medical Center continues to rise to the top of the quality lists. Our team of providers works tirelessly to ensure our patients receive exceptional healthcare,” said John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer. “A great deal of time and energy is placed on infusing quality initiatives throughout the institution. This is comforting for our patients and their families who continually place their trust in us.”

The most recent studies from HealthGrades help us understand why HUMC is one of the nation’s top performers. The hospital consistently ranks among the best in the nation for multiple specialties. Currently, HUMC is ranked among the top five percent in the United States for:

• Overall Cardiac Care (including treating heart attacks) – 3 consecutive years
• Cardiac Surgery (such as coronary bypass graft surgery) – 4 consecutive years
• Stroke Treatment – 2 years in a row
• General Surgery (such as appendectomy)
• Gastrointestinal Services (such as treating bowel obstruction) – 3 consecutive years
• Orthopaedic Surgery (such as knee and hip replacements)
• Women’s Health
• Women’s Cardiac Services – 3 consecutive years
• Bariatric Surgery – 2 years in a row

And among the top ten percent in the country for:

• Coronary Interventions (such as angioplasty or stent insertion) – 3 consecutive years
• Pulmonary Care (such as treating pneumonia) – 2 years in a row

The recipients of HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals were selected by identifying those hospitals that have also received the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence^TM the most consecutive times from 2008 and previous years. HUMC has received this prestigious national quality award from HealthGrades for six consecutive years, making it one of only 43 hospitals in the nation to do so.

In its most recent clinical study, issued on January 30, HealthGrades analyzed tens of millions of Medicare patient records from 4,971 hospitals over a three-year period (2004-06). HealthGrades found that patients admitted to a Distinguished Hospital are, on average, 27 percent more likely to survive and five percent less likely to have a major complication. HealthGrades also estimates that if all patients were treated at Distinguished Hospitals, 171,424 lives could have been saved and 9,671 post-operative complications could have been avoided during the three years studied. This is consistent with Distinguished Hospital studies conducted in previous years.