CEO Spotlight Featuring Kimberly Caesar, MBA, Director, Global Health, Hackensack Meridian Health
Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s (JSUMC) Center for Treatment of Paralysis and Reconstructive Nerve Surgery is part of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.
1. Visionary Leadership: As one of the leaders of Hackensack Meridian Health, can you share your journey and the key milestones that have shaped the program’s growth?
In 2019, HMH embarked upon developing a fully integrated global health program. The program has two main areas of focus - a central department whereby all international patients have a central point of entry into the health system, and a department that researches, analyzes and implements international business opportunities that further HMH’s clinical, academic and research initiatives. Our Global Health program saw tremendous growth in 2024 as we finalized three agreements with international health entities, including India's largest private health system Apollo Hospitals. We saw an increase in international patient volume, attracting patients from 15 countries.
2. Advancing Global Medical Travel: The Center for Treatment of Paralysis and Reconstructive Nerve Surgery at JSUMC has been recognized for its expertise in treating complex nerve disorders. What has been your strategy in positioning the center as a global destination for medical travelers?
The CPRNS program, as it is locally known, has successfully grown under the watchful eye of Dr. Matthew Kaufman, who pioneered the life-changing phrenic nerve construction procedure that reverses diaphragm paralysis and restores breathing functionality. Dr. Kaufman and his team regularly participate in domestic and international conferences, meetings and printed pieces that introduce their work to larger physician audiences, which enable them to serve as referral sources for their patients. Dr. Kaufman is world-renowned, one of only a handful of surgeons in the world who perform this innovative surgical procedure, so it was honestly easy turning this center into a global destination. Patients often actively seek out Dr. Kaufman directly for his innovative approaches to care. Jersey Shore University Medical Center is making significant investments in the organization as part of a strategic master facility plan to further augment our surgical capabilities to meet the growing demand of our local and international patients, alike.
3. GHA Accreditation Achievement: Jersey Shore’s Center for Treatment of Paralysis and Reconstructive Nerve Surgery recently achieved Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) for Medical Travel Services—the first in New Jersey. Why did the hospital pursue this accreditation, and how does it enhance the experience for international patients?
We are thrilled to be the first GHA accredited program in the State. At HMH, we know that excellence means being the best or being amongst the best, and that is what GHA represents. You are the benchmark for industry excellence. We sought the Global Healthcare Accreditation for Medical Travel Services for the CPRNS program because we have an 89% success rate for returning patients to breathing independently without long-term ventilator support. Our program is among a few in the world and has the clinical results and positive patient experiences to make it the best. JSUMC specializes in several signature services such as nerve surgery for brachial plexus injuries and nerve decompression surgery for pudendal neuralgia, to name a few. International patients have regularly traveled to us because they have the confidence that at our Center for Treatment of Paralysis and Reconstructive Nerve Surgery or any other program at HMH, they will receive exceptional, high quality, and safe care that restores them to their highest state of health.
4. Enhancing Patient Experience: Your hospital treats patients from across the U.S. and around the world, including Japan, South Africa, and Australia. What initiatives have been introduced to ensure a seamless, patient-centered experience from pre-arrival to post-treatment care?
With our central system-level office that manages the experience of the international patient, we are able to work with specific providers and practices to ensure that there is always a support system in place to provide the patients with the care they may need before they get here and when they leave. Patients work with designated HMH representatives from their time of inquiry to ensure they understand all processes and associated costs for their desired treatment or procedure. Additionally, HMH has ancillary offerings that include a fully integrated Language Services Department in which patients are able to access 24/7 interpreter services at no additional cost, as well as dedicated patient or family housing that is near some of our facilities. Care does not end when a patient leaves an HMH facility, because our providers are in contact with the patient’s referring clinical team, and ensure they are brought up to speed on the patient’s current medical status enabling a true continuity of care.
5. Pioneering Surgical Innovation: The Center for Treatment of Paralysis and Reconstructive Nerve Surgery has pioneered groundbreaking procedures, including phrenic nerve reconstruction. How do these innovations contribute to patient outcomes and the hospital’s reputation on the global stage?
As mentioned earlier, our 89% success rate for our phrenic nerve reconstruction procedure allows patients to regain functionality that they lost or never had. HMH’s commitment to safety and infection control allow us to care for patients in new state-of-the-art facilities that maximize their care and experience. International providers know that when they send their patients to us at HMH, they are entering into an international care partnership that extends and enhances the care they may have been able to give their patients at home. These favorable patient outcomes and experiences have directly enabled us to forge partnerships with international health entities. They know that their patients will receive quality, safe and culturally competent care while they are with us at HMH.
6. Technology & Healthcare Integration: How is HMH and Jersey Shore University Medical Center incorporating cutting-edge medical technology to enhance patient care, accessibility, and overall safety?
HMH’s commitment to cutting-edge medical technology is second to none. We take pride in our high patient safety scores, low infection rates and overall patient satisfaction. With the completion of the Helena Thuerer Surgical Pavilion at Hackensack University Medical Center, a 530,000 square foot nine story surgical and critical care tower, we have raised the bar on patient care excellence in the NY Metro Region. This facility is fully equipped with smart technology that improves our ability to provide safe, superior care that enhances the patient experience. The operating rooms house the latest robotic joint replacement systems, intraoperative MRI machines and the ability to educate students and medical colleagues around the world. JSUMC is actively expanding its campus by creating new and comparable critical care and surgical towers to meet the needs of our growing community. We are also the first and only program in the world to pair Zap-X, a self-shielded radiosurgery system for the treatment of brain tumors and conditions, with Synaptive MRI to reduce the typical time from diagnosis to treatment from 3 weeks to 3 days. Additionally, Hackensack Meridian Health has no shortage of highly ranked programs that attract international patients such as our CAR T-Cell Therapy Program and our innovative Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program.
7. Expanding International Collaborations: Hackensack Meridian Health has been actively forming partnerships with global institutions, including hospitals in India and Europe. How do these collaborations align with the hospital’s mission to expand its international healthcare footprint?
HMH’s mission is clear - to transform healthcare and be recognized as the leader of positive change. Our international programs and partnerships are allowing us to successfully achieve that mission. We bring our exceptional care to patients where and when they need it most, whether a patient travels to New Jersey or we remotely guide their surgeon during a laparoscopic procedure in their home country, HMH’s international footprint reaches all. Through our extensive work in international program development, patients do not always have to come to New Jersey to receive HMH’s high quality brand of healthcare. We can bring that expertise to their physicians in their home country through education and program development. HMH’s international partnerships have truly enabled us to provide care to the world, wherever the patient may be.
8. Future Vision: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s role in regional and international healthcare, and how do you see its medical travel program evolving in the coming years?
Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health are already a regional and international leader in the treatment of nerve damage and paralysis due to a condition, traumatic injury or surgery, and we are looking forward to further growing the Center in the coming years. We are actively looking to grow our team to allow for additional focused patient support from the beginning of a patient’s healthcare journey with us to their return home and beyond. Enhanced physical surgical space will also allow our physicians to be able to book more OR time, increasing the number of patients we can care for. We plan to leverage our Global Healthcare Accreditation to reach more patients and physicians who need care or want to form referral partnerships.
