4 N.J. teaching hospitals earn competitive ‘Top Hospital’ award for quality, safety

Four teaching hospitals in New Jersey made the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospital” list of the best hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and patient safety.

The 2024 list was released Tuesday, with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Saint Michael’s Medical Center and St. Luke’s Warren Campus receiving the competitive award.

“Top Hospitals have better systems in place to prevent medication errors, higher quality maternity care and lower infection rates, among other laudable qualities,” according to Leapfrog.

The Leapfrog Group has published a list of the nation’s top hospitals since 2006, according to its website. A national nonprofit health care ratings organization, Leapfrog assessed top hospitals based on quantitative criteria and a selection committee’s qualitative requirements for excellence, according to its methodology.

Hospitals must have received an “A” on the latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety report card in order to be eligible for the award. The eligible hospitals are divided into four categories: children’s hospitals, general hospitals, rural hospitals and teaching hospitals. While the criteria for Top Hospital recognition is specific to each category, it’s similar across all categories.

READ MORE: The safest hospitals in N.J. for 2024. See where your hospital ranks.

This year, 134 hospitals received the Top Hospital award from a pool of nearly 2,400 hospitals nationwide, according to Leapfrog. This represents less than 6% of all eligible hospitals in the country.

Here are the New Jersey teaching hospitals that made the list:

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus – It’s the fourth year in a row that Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has made the Top Hospital list. The nonprofit hospital, formerly known as Bergen Regional Medical Center, is owned by Bergen County and operated by three partners — Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark-based addiction-treatment provider Integrity House, and Care Plus New Jersey, a community mental-health provider in northern New Jersey.

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood – This marks the seventh time Englewood Hospital in Bergen County has received the Top Hospital distinction. The teaching hospital is part of one of North Jersey’s largest primary cary networks, Englewood Health, with more than 100 locations for medical and surgical services.

Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark – This is the first year Saint Michael’s Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, has received the Top Hospital award. It comes less than a decade after the medical center filed for bankruptcy. Hospital officials said the award is evidence of a turnaround.

“Receiving the Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital distinction is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our entire team to providing the highest standards of patient care, safety, and innovation,” said Chief Executive Officer Alan Sickles in a press release.

St. Luke’s Warren Campus in Phillipsburg – St. Luke’s Warren Campus is part of the St. Luke’s University Health Network, a regional network of hospitals, physicians and other healthcare organizations with a total of 15 campuses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to its website.