New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services Quality Report Rates Jersey Shore University Medical Center's Cardiac Surgery Results Among the Very Best

NEPTUNE, N.J., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2012 Cardiac Surgery in New Jersey report, recently released by the New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services (NJDHSS), shows Jersey Shore University Medical Center continues to provide outstanding cardiac surgery services, building on its exceptional track record in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery mortality rates. Among high volume centers, Jersey Shore University Medical Center has the best outcomes.

Jersey Shore had among the lowest risk-adjusted operative mortality rates in the state (risk adjusted takes into account risk factors based on each patient's documented pre-surgical health condition). Jersey Shore's rate of 0.47% fell well below the 2% state average. Also, in the 2012 study, Jersey Shore was shown to have the second highest volume in bypass procedures in the state, an important fact since studies show that hospitals with higher volumes and more experience produce better results.

"Our continued outstanding survival results are a reflection of the first rate expertise, professionalism, and collaboration of the entire team at Jersey Shore and throughout the Meridian CardioVascular Network," says Richard Neibart, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery. "I am very proud of the outstanding care provided by our physicians, Magnet award-winning nurses, dedicated technicians and professionals. Every day we set our goals higher, ensuring that our patients and our communities have access to the very best heart care, right here at Jersey Shore."

The State's Cardiac Surgery Report Card examines cardiac surgery data from among the 18 hospitals in the state that performed open-heart surgery in 2009. The state department's report summarizes the results of an analysis comparing the mortality or death rates of patients for the hospitals and physicians performing bypass surgery. The report is available on the department's web site, www.state.nj.us/health.

"I am proud of the leadership role Jersey Shore has played in setting the bar high for the state," says Dr. Neibart. "There can be no better outcome than when all New Jersey hospitals performing cardiac surgery are producing such phenomenal outcomes. These statistics continue to provide the public with more evidence that they do not need to travel to New York or Philadelphia for the very best in cardiac care - the best is right here in New Jersey."

The cardiac surgery program at Jersey Shore, in existence since 1990, performs heart valve replacement, heart valve repair, and aortic surgery in addition to bypass surgery. As Monmouth and Ocean counties' local provider of open-heart surgery, Jersey Shore performs nearly 900 open-heart procedures annually.

The program's high ranking in the report reflects the consistent quality of the cardiac surgeons, including Richard Neibart, M.D., Brook DeJene, M.D., Drew Greeley, M.D., and David Johnson, M.D., who have been practicing as a team for the past 13 years and together have performed more than 7,000 CABGs during their tenure at Jersey Shore. Each cardiac surgeon out-performed the state average, and in 2012, a fifth surgeon with similar outcomes, Benjamin Youdelman, M.D., joined the team.

Jersey Shore is the region's only university-level academic medical center and is home to the Meridian CardioVascular Network - one of the most comprehensive cardiovascular programs in New Jersey, with specialty centers for heart surgery, heart rhythm, congestive heart failure, stroke rescue, as well as one of the largest and most experienced cardiac catheterization labs in the state. Additionally, the Center for Congenital Heart Disease is led by experts who care for both adult and pediatric patients born with structural heart conditions. Through the Meridian CardioVascular Network, Jersey Shore is seamlessly connected to other Meridian hospitals and services, and over 1,700 of the region's leading physicians. From laboratories and imaging centers to acute rehabilitation and at home services, the Meridian CardioVascular Network offers everything to diagnose, treat, and mend virtually all heart and vascular conditions. For more information on the Meridian CardioVascular Network, please visit www.meridiancardiovascularnetwork.com.

About Jersey Shore University Medical Center:

Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a member of the Meridian Health family, is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and home to K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital - the first children's hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Jersey Shore is the regional provider of cardiac surgery, a program which has been ranked among the best in the Northeast, and is home to the only trauma center and stroke rescue center in the region. Jersey Shore University Medical Center specializes in cardiovascular care, orthopedics and rehabilitation, cancer care, neuroscience, and women's specialty services. For more information on Jersey Shore University Medical Center call 1-800-DOCTORS, or visit www.JerseyShoreUniversityMedicalCenter.com.

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SOURCE Jersey Shore University Medical Center