U.S. News & World Report Ranks Hackensack University Medical Center Top 20 in Nation for Urologic Care

Recognition honors Department of Urology’s commitment to excellence, leadership and innovation

December 15, 2024

The Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Department of Urology is leading the way in urologic care, earning a national ranking of #17 from U.S. News & World Report. The group also earned High-Performing Hospital designations for multiple urologic conditions and procedures.

“Our team continually strives to be at the forefront of urologic care so we can offer the most effective treatment options and the best outcomes for our patients,” said Michael Stifelman, M.D., chair of Urology and director of Robotic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, and professor and Founding Chair of Urology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “We are proud of our national recognition and our ongoing commitment to innovation, excellence and leadership in the field of urology.”

According to Dr. Stifelman, the department’s early adoption and experience with innovative technology—including the da Vinci SP single-port robotic surgical system—has played an integral role in the department’s ability to deliver leading-edge care and outstanding patient outcomes.

“Single-port surgery has revolutionized our ability to treat numerous urologic conditions, including cancer,” said Dr. Stifelman. “Now, we can perform complex procedures through a single, half-inch incision—enhancing precision, limiting trauma to the body, reducing scarring, and decreasing the risk of complications.”

On June 6, 2024, Mutahar Ahmed, M.D., FACS, director of the Center for Bladder Cancer at Hackensack University Medical Center, associate professor of Urology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, and director of the Robotic Fellowship Program at New Jersey Urology, performed his 1,000th single-port robotic surgery procedure. Dr. Ahmed is the first surgeon in the U.S. to achieve this milestone and primarily uses single-port technology to provide surgical care for patients with urologic cancers.

“I’m very energetic and excited about single-port robotic technology,” said Dr. Ahmed. “We’re in the business of patient care, and I believe in performing big surgeries in the least invasive way—so we are using single-port technology to make minimally invasive surgery even more minimally invasive.”

That was the case with Dr. Ahmed’s 1,000th patient, Caroline Strand, 90, from Newtown, NJ. Caroline had single-port surgery to remove a large kidney stone and alleviate a blockage in her kidney through a one-inch incision. She said her procedure went smoothly and her recovery was quick.

Innovation Through Transformative Teaching

As one of the first hospitals in the nation and world to adopt single-port surgery, Dr. Stifelman, Dr. Ahmed and their colleagues are among the most experienced single-port surgeons in the world and leaders in teaching these innovative techniques.

In July, the department hosted the third annual Hands-On SP Symposium—drawing America’s leading single-port surgeons to share their knowledge with urology residents and fellows. The symposium, available at no charge to a limited number of qualified applicants, provides urology residents and fellows with an immersive experience that includes hands-on teaching, live surgery and lectures.

“We want to teach the next generation of urologists because they are going to care for us one day, and they have the neuroplasticity to minimize their learning curve,” said Dr. Stifelman. “Our symposium generates tons of interest, and of 100 applicants, we select 30 of the most qualified residents and fellows who we believe will benefit most from the instruction.”

Unprecedented Resident Learning Opportunities

In June, the department also celebrated the graduation of the third resident from the Department of Urology Residency Program. Fahad Sheckley, M.D., will join the staff as an attending urologist.

Accredited since 2017, the Department of Urology residency program provides five years of urology training—including access to state-of-the-art facilities and technology, instructional and mentorship excellence, subspecialty training and research opportunities through its affiliation with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Throughout the program, residents can access one-on-one mentoring by supportive, experienced attending physicians across various subspecialty areas.

“Our early adoption of advanced technology gives our residents learning opportunities not available at other institutions,” said Dr. Stifelman. “We want to push our residents to be better, and one of the ways that we do that is by providing access and education in single-port surgery and other novel technologies.”

Learn more about our innovations in urological care.