Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset has become the first hospital in New Jersey and only the fourth hospital or health system in the country to earn the prestigious Health Equity Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
“This designation is a testament to RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to addressing health disparities in our communities and the social determinants that impact health outcomes,” said Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health. “Our mission is to make our communities healthier. We achieve this not only by caring for the sick and injured, but also by ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have access to healthy food, reliable transportation, and housing. Implementing these standards is part of our broader effort to create far-reaching access to health care and social services.”
NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation recognizes leading organizations that meet or exceed rigorous requirements in the following areas: organizational readiness; race/ethnicity, language, gender identity and sexual orientation; access and availability of language services; practitioner network cultural responsiveness; culturally and linguistically appropriate services programs; and reducing health care disparities.
“This is a tremendous achievement and one for which the entire team at RWJUH Somerset should be proud,” said Dr. Andy Anderson, executive vice president and chief medical and quality officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Our commitment at RWJBarnabas Health is to provide medical treatment that is uniquely tailored to each of our diverse patients and their needs.”
RWJUH Somerset serves a culturally diverse population that speaks over 50 languages and has prioritized efforts to reduce health disparities and improve patient health outcomes.
In addition to RWJUH Somerset being home to the Babs Siperstein PROUD Center, the first in the state to provide specialized primary health care services to the LGBTQ+ community, the hospital has several initiatives to address health equity in underserved, uninsured and vulnerable communities, including:
“Cultural competency is crucial to providing high quality health care,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Organizations achieving Health Equity Accreditation are leaders in closing the ethnic and racial disparities gap, and NCQA commends them for their dedication.”
To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.
Related Articles: