HackensackUMC is the First Hospital in the Nation to Receive State Approval to Report Microbiological Clinical Results for Bacterial and Fungal Identification Using the bioMerieux's MALDI-TOF Technology, VITEK® MS*

HACKENSACK, N.J., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Medical Center is now the first hospital in the nation to receive state approval to report microbiological clinical results using the bioMerieux VITEK® MS device.

"We are excited to be the first medical center in the nation approved to report such important clinical data obtained through the VITEK MS platform," said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Health Network. "HackensackUMC remains committed to staying at the forefront of new technology and treatment methods to better care for our patients, and the VITEK MS is another example of this commitment."

The VITEK MS is a revolutionary automated identification system for the healthcare industry. Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry technology and a database developed by bioMerieux for bacterial and fungal identification, the VITEK MS provides rapid and accurate identifications. Although it is used in other facilities across the country for research purposes, HackensackUMC pushed technology further by seeking approval from New Jersey Department of Health to be able to clinically report its lab results.

"The MALDI-TOF methodology incorporated into the VITEK MS platform truly reflects a quantum leap forward in terms of accurate and extremely timely micro-organism identification," said Ciaran Mannion, M.D., chair of the Department of Pathology at HackensackUMC.

"We are proud to house the VITEK MS device in our Microbiology Laboratory," said Tao Hong, Ph.D., chief of Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics. "The device will not only dramatically cut the necessary time needed to receive results, but will also cut operating costs up to 70% compared to other traditional methods. This technology represents a significant advancement in the clinical management of infectious disease."

_{*Research Use Only}

About Hackensack University Medical Center
HackensackUMC, a non-profit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, New Jersey, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state, and home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the county. This 775-bed facility has created an entire campus of care, including: the Heart & Vascular Hospital, the John Theurer Cancer Center, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, and the Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital. 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 top 100 hospitals in 10 different areas – more than any other hospital in the nation. The medical center has also been named one of the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals®, a Leapfrog Top Hospital, and one of America's 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades® for six years in a row. HackensackUMC 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 about one of the nation's 50 best hospitals, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org.   

SOURCE Hackensack University Medical Center