Senate President Steve Sweeney has toured some of New Jersey’s hospitals this summer to tout the excellence of healthcare in New Jersey. I was gratified, but not surprised. Why? The measurements are in and they are rock solid:

• New Jersey ranks 9th in the nation for the quality of its hospital care by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• In the most recent rankings from U.S. News and World Report, 21 of the top hospitals in the New York Metro region are actually in New Jersey.
• New Jersey boasts 21 hospitals to achieve the prestigious Magnet award for nursing excellence, one of the highest numbers in the nation.
• New Jersey hospitals met or exceeded national averages in 25 of 26 “process of care” measures, according to the Department of Health’s most recent Hospital Performance Report. Those measures assess how well hospitals adhere to best practices across the industry.

New Jersey healthcare leaders devote a lot of time ensuring that they provide quality healthcare to the patients we serve. It’s the right thing to do for the patient. 

I’ve been doing two different tours myself this summer. First, I resolved to meet with every health system leader in New Jersey and every accountable care organization leader. Great things are happening in our state’s healthcare community, and I learn a tremendous amount during these visits. My second tour is a personal health tour, making sure I do the appropriate primary and preventive care visits. So far so good with both tours.