University Hospital (Newark, New Jersey)

The University Hospital
Geography
Location Newark, New Jersey, United States
Organization
Hospital type Teaching
Affiliated university New Jersey Medical School
Services
Standards American College of Surgeons
Emergency department Level I trauma center
Helipad Yes
Beds 504
History
Founded 1882
Links
Website http://www.theuniversityhospital.com
Lists Hospitals in New Jersey

The University Hospital is the teaching hospital of the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey.

Contents

Overview

The University Hospital is owned and operated by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), and is the primary teaching hospital of the New Jersey Medical School, a school within the UMDNJ system.

The hospital has 519 beds and over 3,000 employees.[1] The trauma center at University Hospital is one of only three New Jersey State-Designated Level I Trauma Centers. It is certified by the American College of Surgeons[2] and serves as the regional trauma center for northern New Jersey. It has a helipad to support the NorthSTAR helicopter emergency and critical care transport system.

University Hospital is the largest provider of uncompensated care in New Jersey, and has over $100 million in debt. Operating losses have threatened the ability of the hospital to provide essential services.[3]

History

The hospital was founded as Newark City Hospital, which first opened on September 4, 1882 with 25 beds. The College of the Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey assumed operation of the hospital from the City in 1968 and renamed the entire complex as the "Martland Hospital". A merger with the medical school of Rutgers University prompted the construction of a new hospital. The new College Hospital opened in May 1979, but the name was changed in 1981 when University Hospital university-status was legislatively awarded to the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.[4]

Controversy and scandals

UMDNJ has been involved in a series of blunders that include Medicaid over-billings.[5] The criminal complaint filed against the institution charges that health care fraud occurred through alleged double-billing of Medicaid between May 2001 and November 2004 for physician services in outpatient clinics.[6] A deferred prosecution agreement was filed in federal court in Newark, N.J., Dec. 29, 2005 to avoid prosecution.[7] Herbert Jay Stern, a former U.S. Attorney and federal judge in New Jersey, was appointed as a federal monitor to oversee and enforce compliance in accordance with the deferred prosecution agreement that outlines reform and action to help resolve illegal practices and restore financial integrity and professionalism to the institution.[8] In March 2008, UMDNJ announced that its accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education had been restored, following the termination of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement; Stern had recommended the return of full responsibility for governance of the institution to the UMDNJ Board of Trustees after implementation of a number of systemic reforms by the Board and administration.[9]

In Stratford, New Jersey, at the UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine, Warren Wallace, the prior Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, was terminated amid accusations of unethical behavior. Accusations include inappropriate use of UMDNJ time and resources for political activities, participation in efforts to obtain no-bid contracts for a friend or neighbor, and inappropriate actions in relation to obtaining admission to the School of Osteopathic Medicine for his daughter.[10]

UMDNJ had placed the New Jersey Senator Wayne Bryant on a "no-show" job to increase funding for the school, Bryant being the chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Legislature's Joint Budget Oversight Committee. Bryant stepped down from this position in February 2007. The case was investigated by former United States Attorney Christopher Christie.[11] Bryant was found guilty of the charges on November 19, 2008, and received a four-year sentence in federal prison.[12][13] R. Michael Gallagher, former dean of UMDNJ, was convicted of bribing Bryant and received an 18-month sentence.[14]

References

  1. ^ http://www.theuniversityhospital.com/about/facts.htm
  2. ^ http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html
  3. ^ http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/university_hospital_faces_cris.html
  4. ^ http://www.theuniversityhospital.com/about/history.htm
  5. ^ "UMDNJ Criminal Complaint News Release". Usdoj.gov. http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/files/umdnj1229_r.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  6. ^ "Health Care Fraud Report". Healthcenter.bna.com. 2005-12-29. http://healthcenter.bna.com/pic2/hc.nsf/id/BNAP-6L6L99?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  7. ^ "Deferred Prosecution Agreement" (PDF). http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/files/pdffiles/UMDNJFINALDPA.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  8. ^ "Federal monitor appointment". Umdnj.edu. http://www.umdnj.edu/umcweb/marketing_and_communications/publications/enews/archive/05/122805.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  9. ^ "Accreditation Announcement". Umdnj.edu. http://www.umdnj.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/quinnaj/newsroom.cgi?month=03&day=18&year=08&headline=Middle+States+Commission+on+Higher+Education+Restores+UMDNJ+Accreditation. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  10. ^ "Federal Monitor News Release" (PDF). http://www.umdnj.edu/home2web/federalmonitor/pdf/060506.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  11. ^ "Investigation of link to State Senator Bryant". Nj.com. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/news/ledger/stories/0407umdnj.html. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  12. ^ "Bryant guilty of corruption with ex-UMDNJ dean". Gloucester County Times. 2008-11-19. http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1227083137128000.xml&coll=8. Retrieved 2009-09-03. 
  13. ^ "Former Sen. Wayne Bryant gets four years in prison for bribery, fraud". The Star-Ledger. 2009-07-25. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/former_sen_wayne_bryant_gets.html. Retrieved 2009-09-03. 
  14. ^ "Former UMDNJ dean convicted of bribery reports to federal prison next week". The Star-Ledger. 2009-09-02. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/former_umdnj_dean_to_begin_ser.html. Retrieved 2009-09-03. 

External links