St. Joseph's Health and Hackensack Meridian Health Announce Clinical and Strategic Partnership

PATERSON, N.J. and EDISON, N.J., Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Joseph's Health, a world-class hospital and healthcare network, and Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive and integrated health network, today announced the formation of a clinical and strategic partnership which will deepen their commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality and cost-effective care throughout Bergen and Passaic counties.

"This is an exciting step forward in the history of St. Joseph's Health," said Kevin J. Slavin, President and Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph's Health.  "After a comprehensive search to find just the right partner who would support our Catholic roots and philosophy, while at the same time embrace our commitment to the local communities of northern New Jersey, we are delighted to join efforts with Hackensack Meridian Health in this forward-thinking collaboration."

"St. Joseph's Health and Hackensack Meridian Health are natural partners who share a common mission and culture – increasing access to high-quality, affordable care to the communities we serve," said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "We are excited to enter into a partnership with a first-class healthcare network like St. Joseph's Health. The formation of this innovative partnership will transform healthcare in New Jersey and provide more residents access to the most advanced treatments."

St. Joseph's Health and Hackensack Meridian Health are entering a transformative partnership that will advance their commitment to meet the needs of the communities they serve, including the underserved and vulnerable. The organizations are focused on providing patient-centered care that humanizes the patient experience and is respectful of individual preferences, needs and values. Under the new partnership, St. Joseph's Health will remain an independent organization, governed by a separate board of directors, with continued sponsorship by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth.

"The partnership of our two organizations deepens our commitment to the communities we serve," said Sister Marilyn Thie, SC, Chair of the Board of Trustees at St. Joseph's Health.  "It will enable us to sustain our proud 152-year history and Catholic Mission for many years to come."

This clinical and strategic partnership builds upon the existing collaboration between the two organizations. In 2017, Hackensack Meridian Health and St. Joseph's Health formed the Visiting Health Services of New Jersey, a jointly owned home health services agency and hospice services agency that successfully serves patients and families across Bergen, Passaic and parts of Morris County. VHS received nearly 4,000 admissions in 2018, a 160 percent increase over the prior year, and is setting a new standard of excellence in home health services, providing high-quality, highly coordinated and professional continuum of care to patients in the comfort of their homes.

"Partnerships are the future of healthcare, and together, with like-minded partners like St. Joseph's Health, we will be able to transform health care delivery," said Gordon Litwin, Esq., chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees.

The new clinical and strategic partnership will have a significant impact throughout Bergen and Passaic counties, increasing the region's access to wide-ranging health care services, and expanding the network of aligned physicians to better serve the community.  It will also enable the two networks to continue to advance medical education for the next generation of health care providers, and work together to support population health management and effectively transition to value-based care. The partnership also provides the opportunity to expand state-of-the art oncology services, featuring a Comprehensive Cancer Center with multiple locations throughout Passaic County including in Paterson, Wayne and Totowa.

"I firmly believe that innovative partnerships like this are the answer to enhancing healthcare delivery to those who need it most," said Bishop Arthur Joseph Serratelli, Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson. "New models and structures are imperative for Catholic health systems (like St. Joseph's Health) to remain strong, while evolving as the leading health resource in the community."

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH
Founded in 1867, St. Joseph's Health is a healing ministry of the Catholic Church and has proudly served the residents of New Jersey and the metropolitan area for over 152 years. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, St. Joseph's is committed to providing high quality care to all those in need, with a special concern for the poor, vulnerable, and underserved. From 102 patients in the first year of operation to more than 1.6 million patient-visits in 2018, St. Joseph's continues to evolve as the leading health resource in the community, the largest employer in Passaic County, and one of the largest providers of charity care in New Jersey.

The world-class healthcare network -- supported by over 6,000 renowned physicians, nurses and care teams -- is one of the leading clinical teaching and academic centers in the country and has been recognized for its innovative programs and cutting-edge services.  The health system operates a full continuum of care, including a regional tertiary care medical center (St. Joseph's University Medical Center, Paterson), an acute care medical center (St. Joseph's Wayne Medical Center, Wayne) a state-designated children's hospital (St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Paterson), a rehabilitation and long-term care facility (St. Joseph's Healthcare & Rehab Center, Cedar Grove), comprehensive home care (Visiting Health Services of New Jersey, Totowa) and over 36 ambulatory care centers located throughout northern New Jersey.

Among its awarding-winning specialties, St. Joseph's is home to the nationally acclaimed Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO®) program; the first accredited Geriatric Emergency Department in New Jersey; a five-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet^® Award for Nursing Excellence (the profession's highest honor - an accomplishment reached by only 12 hospitals nationwide); and recognized by US News with a Top Nursing Home award and a five-star rating.

For additional information, please visit www.StJosephsHealth.org.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.

Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick; and a behavioral health hospital, Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has 35,000 team members, and 7,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having four hospitals ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare/2019 by Becker's Healthcare.  

Hackensack Meridian Health partnered with Seton Hall University to launch the only private medical school in New Jersey – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.  Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org

SOURCE St. Joseph’s Health; Hackensack Meridian Health