Healthcare

NJ Hospitals Receive Honors

GARDEN STATE HOSPITALS ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION, AND A HOST OF AWARDS HIGHLIGHT THEIR ESTEEMED ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

By George N. Saliba, Contributing Writer On Feb 3, 2026

New Jersey’s hospitals continue to be recognized as among the finest in the United States via awards showcasing excellent health outcomes in safety-centric facilities replete with skilled physicians, nurses, and other professionals. Overall, U.S. News & World Report ranks the Garden State No. 5 nationwide in its healthcare rankings and New Jersey is third in the US for The Leapfrog Group’s hospital safety grade, even as healthcare worker shortages, low payer reimbursements, and charity care woes broadly strain healthcare facilities here.

Yet, top-tier healthcare is entirely compatible with cost savings. “By giving evidenced-based care at the highest level, care is actually cheaper when you do it that way,” explains John Matsinger, D.O., executive vice president and chief operating officer at Marlton-based Virtua Health. “You’re not having hospital-acquired infections, falls with injuries, and poor outcomes … that [would] lead to more expensive care.”

Cases-in-point: Eighteen of Virtua Health’s ambulatory surgery centers have been ranked among Newsweek’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers for 2026, an honor bestowed upon only 700 centers nationwide. Virtua Voorhees Hospital likewise earned multiple honors in orthopedic surgery excellence from Healthgrades, including being top 5% in the nation for outpatient orthopedic surgery and top 5% nationwide in outpatient joint replacement.

Additionally, The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recognized Virtua Marlton and Virtua Mount Holly hospitals for their “expertise and commitment in treating patients who receive diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures in the hospitals’ cardiac catheterization labs.” Also notable is that Virtua Willingboro hospital achieved the highest reputation score of any acute care US hospital in 2024, according to data published by the California-based firm Reputation.

“A lot of it comes down to having excellent providers, surgeons, and nursing care,” Matsinger says. “[This includes] the entire clinical team, all the way down to the person who maintains the room and makes sure it’s clean. If the room isn’t right, you can get infections. Every single part of the organization is geared towards giving great clinical care.”

RWJBarnabas Health

Andy Anderson, M.D., chief medical officer and quality officer at RWJBarnabas Health, offers similar sentiments regarding his health system’s excellence: “Having the best possible physicians, the best possible nurses – having the latest and greatest equipment – and then standardizing around protocols that are ‘best practice’ [is key]. We’re able to do things efficiently, quickly, safely, and get to the very best outcomes for our patients.” RWJBarnabas also leverages the Vizient® clinical database for performance improvement and benchmarking to create economies of scale and efficiency.

Specialty care is part of the equation: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) was recognized in Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Great Neuro & Spine Programs” for the third consecutive year, with the hospital holding the highest accreditation for stroke care by The Joint Commission, as well as the American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines® certifications. RWJUH is also a Level IV Adult and Pediatric Epilepsy Center. RWJUH’s “neurosurgery service is the only one in the state to have access to an interoperative MRI and is home to the latest robotic technology for epilepsy, movement disorders, mechanical stroke and vascular interventions, and more,” according to the hospital.

Becker’s Hospital Review, meanwhile, named RWJBarnabas Health to its 2025 “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Orthopedic Programs” list. Regarding the future of these and other accolades, Anderson tells New Jersey Business Magazine, “We’ve got great momentum. When you start to perform at a high level – which we are – that will attract more patients, more employees, and the best doctors and nurses. So, it really does build on itself, and I expect that we’ll just get better and better.”

Saint Peter’s Healthcare System

Other New Jersey hospitals are also being recognized: For example, Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick attained Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the seventh consecutive time; in this instance with Magnet with Distinction®, a recognition that celebrates hospitals and healthcare organizations that exceed the scoring thresholds required to attain Magnet designation.

Additionally, U.S. News & World Report has named Saint Peter’s University Hospital as a 2026 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study, now in its fifth edition.

Meanwhile, The CARES Surgicenter, part of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is the No. 1 ranked ambulatory surgery center (for New Jersey) in Newsweek’s America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2026 List, recognizing outstanding patience experience in addition to exceptional quality of care, ensuring patient safety, and achieving positive surgical outcomes.

This was the 6th consecutive year that the CARES Surgicenter at Saint Peter’s was recognized by Newsweek. Saint Peter’s University Hospital has also been named to Newsweek’s America’s Best-in-State Hospitals 2026 list, reinforcing that Saint Peter’s “excels in quality of care, has high patient satisfaction, and is one of the leading hospitals in the nation.”

Holy Name Medical Center

Teaneck-based Holy Name Medical Center was likewise named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best-in-State Hospitals 2026, a list which ranks 800 of the nation’s top hospitals at the state level in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. Holy Name also was named a recipient of a 2024 Human Experience (HX) National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality® by Press Ganey.

The awards “recognize organizations nationwide setting the bar in safety, quality, nursing excellence, employee engagement, and patient experience – the cornerstones of exceptional care.” Separately, Holy Name has been named a Top General Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, one of the most important honors a hospital or ambulatory surgery center can receive for excellence in safety and quality.

Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) received more than 20 accolades in calendar year 2025. Jose Azar, M.D., executive vice president, chief quality and clinical service line officer, tells New Jersey Business Magazine that Hackensack University Medical Center, in particular, is ranked as one of the top 20 hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Azar says, “There is an absolute commitment from the board, from [CEO] Bob Garrett, from all the executives of the executive suite; everybody at the hospital: If you ask anybody at Hackensack – it doesn’t matter who they are or what they do – they could be valet parking, they could be cleaning the floor, they could be the hospital executive: They all know that we’re driving towards excellence – top 20 U.S. News & World Report – to better serve our patients and out communities.”

Twelve HMH hospitals have been notably recognized for stroke care by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With the Guidelines® Stroke Awards. Azar says, in part, “The doctors and nurses are going to pay very close attention to every patient and give them what they need based on best care, established standards, and innovative care. We have a lot of new models of care, whether it’s telestroke or leveraging AI, for example, in radiology for diagnostics, etc.”

Englewood Health

Englewood Health has similarly received numerous recognitions, including being named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Englewood’s President and CEO Warren Geller speaks broadly about the system’s ability to attract top-tier medical staff: “We attract great clinicians by giving them what they want most: the ability to take excellent care of patients. We offer a supportive environment, advanced technology, and the chance to work on teams that truly collaborate. But just as important, Englewood Health is a place where people feel they can make a real difference in the community. Talented physicians and nurses want to be part of something meaningful, and that’s what brings them here and keeps them here.”

Regarding specific awards, Healthgrades has recognized Englewood Hospital for national excellence in cardiac, orthopedic and surgical care, including multiple 5-star ratings and top-percentile recognitions. “Cutting-edge technology and highly skilled physicians are essential, but what truly elevates our care is how seamlessly our teams work together,” explains Hillary Cohen, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer at Englewood Health.

Englewood Health has likewise earned top ratings for its patient care and lung cancer resection outcomes from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Christos Stavropoulos, M.D., director of thoracic oncology & chief of thoracic surgery at Englewood Health, says, in part, “We use advanced technologies like robotic bronchoscopy to provide diagnoses with exceptional accuracy, allowing us to plan the safest and most effective treatment. By the time patients reach surgery, our team is often able to offer minimally invasive, highly tailored procedures. That seamless approach, from screening to diagnosis to surgery, is what leads to outstanding outcomes and, in turn, our three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.”

The Valley Hospital

Paramus-based The Valley Hospital has also been marked with achievement, including being named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for 2025 as per Healthgrades, reflecting what the hospital describes as “unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care” that puts Valley in the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance.

Among other awards, The Valley Hospital has been recognized for its commitment to treating in-hospital cardiac arrest
by the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® – Resuscitation with Target: Survival award. Excellence in stroke care is also strong via the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award.

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