Saint Barnabas Earns Elite Designation As 'Top Teaching Hospital'

Eric Kiefer
·2 min read
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LIVINGSTON, NJ — Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston has scored a prestigious “Top Teaching Hospital” designation from nonprofit watchdog, The Leapfrog Group.

The recognition puts Saint Barnabas in elite company; it’s one of just 10 across the nation to get the nod this year as a top teaching hospital with more than 500 beds.

The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses performance for quality and patient safety.

The Top Teaching Hospital Award comes following Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s straight “A” Hospital Safety Grade, also from The Leapfrog Group. SBMC has earned an “A” since the inception of the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score in 2012 and is one of just 32 hospitals nationwide to earn this distinction.

It's an especially big honor considering the backdrop of an ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Saint Barnabas administrators said.

“Throughout this pandemic, our frontline staff have been dedicated to providing the highest quality care for our patients and their families,” President and CEO Stephen Zieniewicz said.

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, also congratulated the staff at Saint Barnabas for their endurance and effort.

“Despite the extraordinary pressure and strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Barnabas Medical Center has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to patients and to the Livingston community,” Binder said. “We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible.”

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This article originally appeared on the Livingston Patch