Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center Verified as Providing High-Quality Surgical Care for Older Adults

Jersey Shore University Medical Center Attains NJ’s First National Verification from the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification Program

Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center is the first New Jersey hospital to receive verification under the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program.

Older adults have distinct physical and social vulnerabilities, as well as unique goals for their care, that warrant a more thorough and individualized approach to surgery. The GSV program improves surgical care and outcomes for older adults by promoting comprehensive patient- and family-centered care, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, and facilitating evidence-based practices. The program focuses on the overall health and treatment goals of older adults, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluations before surgery, improved treatment plans, and highlights the significance of discharge and postoperative care plans to ensure continuous care throughout the surgical journey.

“I’m extremely proud of the exemplary care our surgical teams provide our patients of all ages, whether infants, children, adults or older adults,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC).

As a verified geriatric surgery facility, JSUMC has met the standards as defined in the Optimal Resources for Geriatric Surgery manual, which help ensure the most effective use of surgical care for a vulnerable aging population. These standards are evidence-based and define resources and processes that hospitals must have in place to perform operations effectively, efficiently, and safely for older adults. The standards are also patient-centered so hospitals can always prioritize what matters most to individual patients regarding their needs and treatment goals. The GSV program has been shown to reduce incidents of delirium and shorten the average length of stay in the hospital after an operation.

Additionally, JSUMC’s emergency department is an American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) accredited Geriatric Emergency Department. “Providing focused healthcare services for older adults is taking on an increasing importance as our population ages,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “The U.S. population, 65 and over, grew nearly five times faster than the total population from 1920 to 2020, according to the 2020 Census. In 2020, about 1 in 6 people in the U.S. were 65 and over.”

As a multi-ACS verified hospital, JSUMC is also an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know JSUMC is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.

JSUMC participates in several ASC improvement and verification programs ensuring high-quality surgical care is provided. The medical center holds ASC Commission on Cancer, and Breast Center Accreditations, and participates in National Surgery Quality Improvement Programs for Adult and Pediatric surgery (NSQIP). JSUMC participates in the ASC’s Trauma Quality Improvement Program, and is verified as a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and New Jersey’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. The academic medical center’s bariatric surgery program is designated a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent and Obesity Medicine Qualifications by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint quality program of the ACS and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, JSUMC has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, M.D., MBA, FACS.

Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to providing the best care for older adults across New Jersey. Hackensack University Medical Center is also an ACEP accredited Geriatric Emergency Department, and is on the path to receive verification under the ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification program.

For more information about JSUMC, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/jersey-shore-university-medical-center. For a free physician referral, call 844-HMH-WELL.