Hackensack University Medical Center And Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center Create Cardiac Services Alliance

HACKENSACK, N.J. and SUFFERN, N.Y., June 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Medical Center's Heart & Vascular Hospital has formed an alliance with the Active International Cardiovascular Institute at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, a member of Bon Secours Charity Health System. The new relationship will increase collaboration among the two award-winning cardiac and vascular centers to improve the services and care available to the communities of Rockland and Orange counties.

The agreement enables HackensackUMC Heart & Vascular Hospital physicians to provide clinical support and direct patient care at the Good Samaritan Active International Cardiovascular Institute. The collaborative effort will bring HackensackUMC's doctors closer to Good Samaritan patients with serious heart and vascular issues and will elevate the level of cardiovascular services available in the area. The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program is among the state-of-the-art services that will soon be available to Good Samaritan patients due to this collaborative.

"This new, mutually beneficial relationship between HackensackUMC and Good Samaritan is just the beginning of what will be a productive and increasingly extensive alliance between these medical facilities," said Robert C. Garrett, president and CEO of the Hackensack University Health Network. "This latest partnership further demonstrates the strength of our health network and how increased collaboration with other systems leads to even better quality of patient care."

Philip Patterson, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System, has a positive outlook on the alliance. "We are looking forward to leveraging this collaboration with HackensackUMC to propel the program's trajectory and continue to deliver excellent medical care to the people of this region. For both facilities, this partnership marks an exciting reaffirmation of our commitment to the highest quality cardiovascular services and to the constant advancement of all of our programs."

Dr. Eric Somberg will serve as the vice chairman of the HackensackUMC Heart & Vascular Hospital at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. His cardiac surgical team will include Dr. Jock McCullough, Dr. Ellie Ellman, and Dr. Gabe DiLuozzo. As such, Good Samaritan will now maintain the only complete cardiovascular program in the Lower Hudson Valley. The affiliation will build upon Good Samaritan's nationally-ranked program that covers everything from stress tests and imaging to clinically advanced surgical techniques.

The partnership will also offer access to HackensackUMC's world-class arrhythmia cardiologists such as Dr. John Zimmerman, Dr. Taya Glotzer, Dr. Glauco Radoslovich and Dr. Gunjan Shukla. They provide the highest quality, most advanced treatment for the management of complex heart rhythms, providing successful, cutting-edge care to thousands of patients annually. In fact, HackensackUMC was ranked first in New Jersey by Healthgrades for Cardiology Services in 2013. Every new patient at Good Samaritan will receive a comprehensive evaluation personally performed by one of the electrophysiologists. The program, comprised of wide-ranging inpatient and outpatient care services, will be one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area.

Dr. Joseph E. Parrillo, chairman of HackensackUMC's Heart & Vascular Hospital, also applauded the agreement. "As we begin this innovative alliance, we look forward to sharing resources, access to protocols and highly-trained specialists that are at the forefront of heart and vascular care. It will be an honor to combine our expertise with the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals at the Active Cardiovascular Institute while we develop stronger patient outcomes for the GSRMC community."

"By bringing together the strength of these two premier programs, Good Samaritan and HackensackUMC are enabling further development of our cardiovascular services to provide cutting-edge healthcare to our patients," said Rodney Williams, Bon Secours Charity Health System Chief Medical Officer.  "This is a unique opportunity for our programs to share information and expand services."

About Hackensack University Health Network

Hackensack University Health Network is the New Jersey based parent company of HackensackUMC, the HackensackUMC Foundation, Hackensack University Medical Groups, and corporate joint venture partners with LHP Hospital Group (Dallas, TX) in ownership of two hospitals: HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley and HackensackUMC Mountainside. With nearly 10,000 employees and 2,200 credentialed medical staff members at hospitals within the Network, Hackensack University Health Network is the largest healthcare system in northern New Jersey.

About Hackensack University Medical Center

HackensackUMC, a nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. It is the flagship hospital of the Hackensack University Health Network, one of the largest health networks in the state comprised of 1,140 beds, nearly 10,000 employees and 2,200 credentialed physicians. HackensackUMC was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey and one of the top four New York metro area hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report, and has received nine national rankings in: Cancer; Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gastroenterology; Geriatrics; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Orthopedics; Urology; and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital ranked as one of the Top 25 Best Children's Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the 2012-13 Best Children's Hospitals list. HackensackUMC is among Healthgrades® America's Best 100 Hospitals in 10 different areas – more than any other hospital in the nation, is one of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals™ for seven years in a row, and received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ 11 years in a row. The medical center has also been named a Leapfrog Top Hospital, and received 19 Gold Seals of Approval™ by the Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence. HackensackUMC is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls, and remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events. To learn more, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org.  

About Bon Secours Charity Health System

Bon Secours Charity Health System comprises Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Suffern, New York, and two community hospitals, Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, New York, and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, New York.  Bon Secours Charity Health System also includes a certified home health agency, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living/adult home facility, and several other off-site medical programs.

The Health System, which draws its name from its two Catholic sponsors—Bon Secours Ministries and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth—serves nearly 1 million people. With more than 3,400 employees, the Health System is one of the region's largest employers. For more information, visit bschs.bonsecours.com.

Bon Secours Charity Health System is a member of the Bon Secours Health System, a national Catholic healthcare system with a strong reputation and robust commitment to bringing good help to those in need.

About Bon Secours Health System

Bon Secours Health System, headquartered in Marriottsville, MD, a $3.5 billion not-for-profit Catholic health system, owns, manages or joint ventures 19 acute-care hospitals, one psychiatric hospital, five nursing care facilities, four assisted living facilities and 14 home care and hospice programs. Bon Secours' more than 21,000 employees help people in six states: Maryland, Virginia, Florida, New York, South Carolina, and Kentucky. Visit www.bshsi.org for more information.

SOURCE Hackensack University Medical Center