I think it’s important once in a while to pause and appreciate the positive things in life. Good health – perhaps the greatest of all gifts – is a good place to start. So as I sit here at my computer, I’m compiling a list of five reasons to celebrate health and healthcare in New Jersey: 

• I’m a nurse so of course I will start with nursing excellence. New Jersey boasts 29 hospitals and health systems that have received the prestigious “Magnet hospital” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, one of the highest numbers of any state in the nation. The award recognizes facilities that have created a level of nursing excellence by empowering nurses and creating an environment where they can grow, advance and provide the highest level of patient care. I’m all about celebrating nurses and the vital role they play supporting high-quality care and patient safety across our state – not just in hospitals but in other settings from home health, to nursing homes, to community-based clinics.
• It’s sometimes easy to take for granted what’s in your own backyard, but New Jersey ranks with the best nationally in the quality of hospital care. New Jersey is sixth best in the nation in the most recent Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog, validation of our hospitals’ embrace of patient safety improvement efforts. Another sign of high-quality care in New Jersey: The Garden State’s impressive presence on the annual best hospitals list from U.S. News and World Report. Did you notice that 11 of the top 29 hospitals in the metro New York region are actually in New Jersey? Likewise, you’ll see a number of South Jersey hospitals on Philadelphia’s best hospital list. That excellence spans not just acute care hospitals but also specialty services such as rehabilitation hospitals.
• More New Jerseyans than ever before have access to the healthcare they need, thanks to record levels of insurance coverage in our state. That’s good for healthcare consumers – connecting them to regular healthcare, including preventative services – and it makes good sense for a healthcare system focused on high-value, efficient care. Despite shifting national political currents, New Jersey’s healthcare providers and state leaders have committed to maintaining health coverage through state legislation, regulations and the steps being taken to create a state-based insurance exchange. Additionally, New Jersey’s hospitals provide care to anyone who shows up at their doors regardless of insurance status or ability to pay – it’s part of state law, but also our mission of caring.
• Healthcare provides a strong foundation for our communities – through jobs, salaries and investments in local programs. As community cornerstones, hospitals employ more than 150,000 people and pay more than $9 billion in employee salaries. In addition to caring for our state’s most vulnerable people, nursing homes and other post-acute providers add more than 54,000 full-time equivalent jobs to our state’s economy. Several of the top 10 largest employers in the state are healthcare providers. Those same facilities invest more than $2.8 billion in community benefit programs such as health improvement programs, education, support groups and other local services.
• New Jersey healthcare is focused on more than just healthcare. What I mean is that hospitals and other healthcare providers increasingly are addressing challenges such as housing, nutrition, public safety and other issues that have a tremendous impact on healthy communities. That’s why you see New Jersey hospitals and health systems investing in programs like supportive housing, community-based food programs and counseling and mentoring for victims of gun violence. It’s all about addressing the social issues that have an undeniable impact on the health of our families and communities.

Kathryn Burns Collins, RN, is clinical quality improvement specialist for the Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey, an affiliate of the New Jersey Hospital Association.