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New Brunswick, NJ – New Brunswick, NJ – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will receive increased federal funding for cancer care if legislation passed by the House is signed into law, announced the bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) at a hospital press conference today.
"New Jersey has tens of thousands of new cancer cases each year and has been ranked as the 9th worst of the 50 states in cancer instances," Pallone said. "If we are going to reverse this unacceptable ranking and successfully care for New Jersey's patients suffering from cancer, we must ensure access to the most modern and innovative treatments. This increased funding will allow us to provide that care where patients need it most - right here in New Jersey, not in New York or Philadelphia."
The funding increase is the result of a special Congressionally-mandated Medicare designation for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), the flagship hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The designation exempts RWJUH from regular Medicare reimbursement schedules for cancer treatments and makes the hospital eligible for millions of dollars in additional federal funding that reflects the actual costs of treating cancer patients in New Jersey with advanced medicine. Currently there are only 11 medical centers across the nation that share this type of Medicare designation, referred to as a PPS exemption. None are in New Jersey.
“Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has invested heavily to become a world-class cancer treatment center. This designation by Medicare will ensure we continue to reinvest in providing some of the most advanced cancer treatment in the nation and better access to this care for all of New Jersey,” said Stephen K. Jones, interim President and CEO of the hospital. He added, “We are grateful for the recognition of our critical mission in New Jersey’s battle against cancer and thank Congressman Pallone and his colleagues in the Congress for their support.”
Under current Medicare rules, RWJUH loses approximately $8 million annually providing advanced cancer treatments to Medicare-eligible patients. The exemption and increased funding will help RWJUH remain competitive with hospitals like Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City and Fox Chase in Philadelphia, prior recipients of the same exemption.
“The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital together with its 16 affiliated hospitals provides patients with the latest treatment options to beat this deadly disease," stated Dr. Joseph R. Bertino, Interim Director of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and University Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "The legislation announced today will help to ensure that all New Jerseyans are provided access to the best cancer care close to home without having to leave the state."
“The American Cancer Society and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are committed to fighting cancer in New Jersey,” said Jim Young, regional vice president for the American Cancer Society's Central New Jersey Region. “This legislation will certainly go a long way towards providing access to care and ultimately much needed treatment for cancer patients in New Jersey.”
According to the American Cancer Society, cancer incidence in New Jersey is among the highest in the country, with New Jersey expected to have an estimated 49,370 new cases in 2007. This number ranks New Jersey number 9 out of 50 states.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Cancer Hospital of New Jersey is the flagship hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer programs. The 205,000 sq. ft., 125-bed Cancer Hospital of New Jersey offers private rooms for medical and surgical oncology patients, a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and a state-of-the-art Radiation Oncology Department.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:
Selected as one of three hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart and named by Solucient as one of America’s top 15 teaching hospitals, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital was ranked number 26 in the nation for heart care according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2007 ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals,” as well as best in the state for Respiratory Disorders (#26) and Urology (#50), and among the nation’s best for Geriatrics (#40). The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for 10 consecutive years.
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