Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center is pleased to announce that it has received a two-year National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) accreditation at Level 4, the top level of accreditation presented by the NAEC.
“I want to commend our team members for achieving this significant accreditation,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., FACS. “They are emblematic of our mission to provide the highest quality and most compassionate care for our patients and their families.”
According to the NAEC, Level 4 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
The Hackensack University Medical Center Epilepsy Center consists of multiple epileptologists providing care together with epilepsy neurosurgeons, nurses, nurse practitioners, counseling psychologists, neuropsychologists, and dietitians. It forms part of the Department of Neurology and the Neuroscience Institute, chaired by Florian P. Thomas, M.D., Ph.D.
“Living well despite seizures is challenging and requires optimal health behavior and regular follow-up with the health care team in order to ensure that a person lives as seizure-free as possible, and with minimal side effects from medications and other interventions,” said Dr. Thomas. “Facilitating access to an inter-professional team of multiple specialists who strive to provide patient-centered care, is what the Neuroscience Team at Hackensack University Medical Center is all about. This two-year NAEC accreditation is testimony that the epilepsy care at Hackensack University Medical Center lives up to the highest national standards.
”NAEC is a nonprofit organization with a membership of more than 230 specialized epilepsy centers in the United States. The Association pursues an active agenda, educating public and private insurers, policy makers and government officials about the complexities of and need for patient access to specialized epilepsy services.
NAEC supports epilepsy centers in delivering quality comprehensive care to people with epilepsy, by setting standards of care, advocating for access to high quality epilepsy centers, and providing knowledge and resources to its member centers.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is now part of one of the largest networks in the state comprised of 33,000 team members and more than 6,500 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 Best Hospital rankings - maintaining its place atop the NJ rankings since the rating system was introduced. It was also named one of the top four New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2017. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 24 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to The Northern Trust PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.
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