BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - (Business Wire) Cogent Healthcare today announced a new hospital medicine affiliation with Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), a 775-bed teaching and research hospital and the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state of New Jersey. Founded in 1997, Cogent is a pioneer and leader in the field of hospital medicine, the fastest growing medical specialty in the history of medicine. Through the agreement, Cogent will provide comprehensive hospitalist services to HUMC’s inpatient population. The program will deploy Cogent’s unique System of Care to support the hospitalists with structure, a coordinated care team, data driven processes, rigorous ongoing training and experienced leadership.
“HUMC is a well-respected healthcare provider with a laser-like focus on quality and patient-centered care – core beliefs that match precisely with Cogent’s approach to hospital medicine,” said Jim Panoff, Chief Development Officer of Cogent Healthcare. “Our two organizations will begin immediately to align our resources to enhance quality outcomes and the patient experience at HUMC.”
Using the principles of Total Quality Management, which include performance improvement methods and The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award business criteria, HUMC has established The Service Quality Division with the objective of evaluating and improving the key processes that contribute to the delivery of patient care.
“Our paramount goal is to provide the highest quality care for our patients in all we do,” said Robert Garrett, HUMC President and Chief Executive Officer. “This priority leads HUMC to develop partnerships with superior providers like Cogent. We believe our patients will benefit from Cogent’s leadership and technology.”
HUMC is home to hundreds of specialized programs and services and one of its region’s most modern healthcare campuses.
“Patient satisfaction is driven in part by exceptional continuity of care,” said Peter Gross, M.D., HUMC’s Chief Medical Officer. “Selecting a hospital medicine partner that understands the importance of care coordination in the patient experience was a key requirement for HUMC. Cogent has demonstrated expertise in working alongside large organizations, like ours, to provide superior inpatient care to a significant patient population.”
“Providing quality care is the number one, non-negotiable value to both the community physicians who admit their patients to HUMC and to the administration at the medical center,” said Mory Menacker, D.O., a member of the Department of Internal Medicine and the chair of the Physician Satisfaction Committee. “This affiliation aims to create an environment for physicians to practice the best medicine and for patients to receive the best care, through strong alignment between the community and the hospital.”
This announcement follows recently formed Cogent affiliations with Erlanger Health Systems of Chattanooga, Tenn., Shands Jacksonville Medical Center of Jacksonville, Fla. and DeKalb Medical of Decatur, Ga.
For more information about Cogent’s solutions and philosophy, visit www.cogenthealthcare.com.
About Cogent Healthcare
Founded in 1997, Cogent is a pioneer and leader in the field of hospital medicine. The company partners with hospitals to build and manage highly performing hospitalist programs. In order to relentlessly improve the care and efficiency of hospitalized patients, the Cogent model offers a comprehensive System of Care that supports hospitalists with structure, a coordinated care team, data driven processes, rigorous ongoing training and experienced leadership. Cogent physicians lead the profession by setting best practices for hospital medicine and providing a national mentoring program. For more information, visit www.cogenthealthcare.com.
About Hackensack University Medical Center
HealthGrades® named HUMC as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2007, 2008, and 2009. This designation recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over a seven-year time period. These hospitals have achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates across dozens of medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes. HUMC is the only healthcare facility in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, for three years in a row. For more information, please visit the medical center’s website at www.humc.com. HUMC is now on Facebook. For the most up-to-date information and other news items please find “Hackensack University Medical Center” on Facebook and “Become a Fan.”
Cogent Healthcare
Carlie Crenshaw, 615-254-0575
