Hackensack Meridian Health Among Nation’s Best Healthcare Networks for Treating Heart Attack

American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award recognizes sustained, high level performance in quality of care

All eligible Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers have achieved the American College of Cardiology’s 2025 NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes the medical centers’ commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients, and signifies they have reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) / American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

The eight Hackensack Meridian medical centers that achieved the Platinum Performance Achievement Award, include the following.

• Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ
• Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ
• JFK University Medical Center in Edison, NJ
• Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ
• Ocean University Medical Center in Brick, NJ
• Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, NJ
• Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, NJ
• Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ

To receive the Platinum Performance Achievement Award, the Hackensack Meridian medical centers demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 & 2024), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures.

“It is an honor to award these Hackensack Meridian medical centers for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, M.D., FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that they remain committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”

Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

“The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year,” said Elizabeth A. Maiorana, MBA, MSN, R.N., CCCC, vice president, Cardiovascular Services, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our Hackensack Meridian medical centers are dedicated to providing world-class, life-saving care to people who suffer a heart attack, as well as diagnostic and medical services for our patients to prevent heart events, like a heart attack or stroke, from occurring.”

For more information about Hackensack Meridian Health’s cardiovascular services, visit https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/services/heart-care. To schedule a CT Calcium Scoring scan or AngioScreen testing, which provide early detection of heart disease risk, or for a free referral to a cardiologist, call 844-HMH-WELL.