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Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson Issue Public Survey to Seek Community Feedback on Merger

Somerville, N.J. –Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital have jointly developed a brief survey designed to gauge public awareness and sentiment around the hospitals’ impending merger.   Through the online survey, the institutions hope to gauge awareness, identify perceptions, and provide an outlet for members of the community to offer feedback.  The brief, online survey can be found at  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/rwjuhsmc. Responses to the survey will be collected until April 12, 2014.

“Keeping the members of our community well-informed about the merger is among our top priorities as the process moves forward,” said Ken Bateman, CPA, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer at Somerset Medical Center. “We’re hopeful that the survey will provide us with valuable insight on how well the community understands the process right now and help to inform our communications efforts as the merger progresses.”

“We remain committed to enhancing the scope and quality of care available to residents in Central New Jersey and to putting the needs of our patients first,” said Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson Health System.  “This has been, and will continue to be, a collaborative process and we encourage the community to share their feedback with us.”

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Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s merge is expected to be finalized this summer. A transition team comprised of members of both hospitals has been meeting since last fall to plan for the integration of the two facilities. Additionally a microsite, http://smc.rwjuh.info, has been created as part of an ongoing effort to provide employees, physicians, community members and patients with the most up-to-date information on their pending merger. The microsite highlights merger milestones, provides answers to frequently asked questions and offers insight on what the merger means for patients and employees. It also includes an overview of each organization and their recent accomplishments.

To participate in the public survey please visithttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/rwjuhsmc. To learn more about the merger, please visit http://smc.rwjuh.info. For more information about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Somerset Medical Center, go to www.rwjuh.edu orwww.somersetmedicalcenter.com.

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About Somerset Medical Center

Somerset Medical Center is a 355-bed acute care hospital in Somerville, providing comprehensive health care services to residents throughout Central New Jersey. It is nationally recognized as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence. The medical center’s Steeplechase Cancer Center is designated as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer – a distinction achieved by only one in four hospitals nationwide that treat cancer patients. The Joint Surgery Institute at Somerset Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total knee and total hip replacement surgery. The medical center is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. It is one of nine Medical Coordination Centers established by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to coordinate communication among emergency responders during a disaster situation. For more information about Somerset Medical Center, visitwww.somersetmedicalcenter.com.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center which is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. 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. RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S.News & World Report six times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in several specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has also ranked among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S.News & World Report for two consecutive years. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers and the hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center is certified by the Joint Commission to provide complex stroke care. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine, and has given the hospital an “A” grade for safety and quality. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a four-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.

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