Fewer Complications and Better Outcomes: How NJBS Helped HUMC Gain Top Neurosurgery Ranking
Most brain and spine practices partner with local medical centers where they perform many of their surgical procedures, but few have a collaboration as impactful as the one between New Jersey Brain and Spine (NJBS) and Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), where combined efforts have lead to a top neurosurgery ranking.
Both organizations are committed to providing exceptional patient care, particularly when it comes to safety and quality. As part of that shared mission, the physicians at NJBS regularly partner with the doctors, nurses, quality team members, and hospital leaders at HUMC to analyze and improve safety and quality performance.
“Our collaboration with HUMC is highly focused on care excellence,” says Dr. Hooman Azmi, an NJBS neurosurgeon who is fellowship-trained in functional and restorative neurosurgery. “That excellence is defined in different ways, but safety and quality rise to the top. We work together to ensure patients experience a technically excellent surgical result, but also that they have the safest and highest quality care possible.”
The ongoing pursuit of these shared goals is having a profound impact, in the form of exceptional patient outcomes and experience. In fact, HUMC’s metrics related to safety and quality are so impressive that its neurosurgery program recently gained recognition by U.S. News & World Report as #23 in the country and #1 in New Jersey.
“The U.S. News & World Report ranking is extremely competitive,” says Azmi, noting that the organization evaluated more than 3,000 hospitals before compiling its ranking. “It underscores the fact that the outcomes at HUMC exceed what patients experience at most other hospitals. The chance of having a complication or death is less for all patients at HUMC.”
Key takeaways for patients: Why the ranking matters
Any patient who has been recently diagnosed with a neurological disorder—a disease or condition that involves the brain, spinal cord, or nerves—should consider multiple factors when seeking out a neurosurgeon. The physician should inspire the patient’s trust and confidence through their experience, credibility, results, care philosophy, and ability to connect.
Patients should also seek out a neurosurgeon who is actively involved in the quality and safety initiatives at the hospital in which they perform surgeries, says Azmi. “That takes the care provided to a higher level.”
Azmi adds that patients should also consider the safety and quality rankings of the hospital where the physician performs surgeries, such as those released by U.S. News & World Report. “Hospitals that are ranked highly have much less risk of complications, much less risk of mortality,” he says. “They’re just safer hospitals.”
A focus on subspecialization: How it advances quality and safety
Another factor patients should consider when searching for a neurosurgeon is subspecialization. Subspecialization is a philosophy of practice that enables doctors to immerse themselves in their area of expertise and to pursue and develop innovations within their field of neurology and neurosurgery.
This is a philosophy that NJBS embraces—and one that helps the practice provide such exceptional care to patients within its own facility and at HUMC, says Azmi.
“We’re very good at what we do, in part because we’re very focused on our subspecialization,” says Azmi. “Whether it’s endovascular, neuro-oncology, spine, or functional neurosurgery, we have a group of doctors that are really good at their craft and committed to ongoing excellence and improvement.”
The dedication to subspecialization also makes it easy for NJBS physicians to ensure every patient gets exceptional care for their unique needs. “We never hesitate to bring in another physician in our group if they have relevant experience or expertise,” says Azmi. “That’s really the core of subspecialization, and it has a huge impact on the quality of care our patients receive.”
A collaborative model: NJBS and HUMC
While NJBS physicians play a key role in advancing safety and quality at HUMC, they also feel privileged to perform their surgeries at such an innovative program. At HUMC, advancements such as robotic-assisted surgeries, innovative imaging techniques, and minimally invasive procedures are standard. These tools allow NJBS surgeons to deliver safer, more effective treatments that result in faster recovery times and improved patient satisfaction.
“Within NJBS and HUMC, we are able to collaborate with some of the most esteemed specialists in the field,” says Azmi. “For our patients, this means access to the highest level of medical and surgical care available in the country.”
We’re honored that U.S. News & World Report recognized our partnership with HUMC in this year’s rankings. Click here to schedule a consult or seek a second opinion with our subspecialized team.
