Hackensack Meridian Health

We're proud to welcome seven new members to our Board of Trustees. These esteemed leaders bring a wealth of experience and expertise in health care, business, and philanthropy to the Board. Thank you to Carla Harris, Fred Voccola, Michael Heaney, Mauricio Gutierrez, Judy Persichilli, Carmine Di Sibio and Ralph Izzo. It's an honor to have you on the team. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCX4BUhm #boardmembers #boardoftrustees #healthcare

We are proud to announce that we have agreed to a strategic affiliation with Apollo Hospitals, aimed at driving innovation and implementing solutions in care across our communities. This collaboration brings together New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive health network and India's largest private health care system for one shared vision. We look forward to all the potential unlocked by our combined efforts, including initiatives related to enhanced care, affordability and community health. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eyENitUF #healthcare #strategicaffiliation #newjersey

“We need plenty more Tsukasas in the world. We'd all be selflessly helping one another.” When Jamal, an out-of-state truck driver, began to feel ill on the road, he pulled over in a dirt parking lot and called 911. An ambulance rushed him to JFK University Medical Center as he suffered chest and abdominal pain. In the commotion, Jamal arrived without his keys, wallet, phone—or 100 pound pit bull puppy. Tsukasa, a nurse caring for him, heard the story he shared. “I had no expectations at all. I just told her my concerns as an incoming patient,” Jamal says. But Tsukasa felt his story called for more than a sympathetic ear. She asked where his rig was parked, and when her shift was done, she drove there to search among the dozens of trucks for Jamal's. When she found it, she discovered his belongings were still safely there—but the dog wasn't. Concerned, she spoke with a coworker who suggested she call animal control. They confirmed they had the puppy, and he was okay. “I knew that Jamal was worried about everything and he had no one here to help him,” Tsukasa says. “I also knew that worrying would take away from his ability to heal. Plus I love dogs.” Jamal was in awe when Tsukasa reported back to him. “Just know what she did was a pure act of kindness, selflessness and above the call of duty,” he says. “After her long shift, she risked her own drowsiness and much deserved rest time to drive clear across town and back. What did I do to deserve such attention? NOTHING. It's in her DNA.” She wasn't done. The next day, she told Jamal she was concerned about his truck, and after her shift, she returned, turned it off, closed the windows and locked the doors. “She took care of my truck, my keys and my dog. I healed in peace,” he says. Tsukasa downplayed her efforts. “I like helping each other,” she says. “That’s just being a good human being.” Jamal is forever grateful, and nominated Tsukasa for a Daisy Award. In his nomination, he wrote, “We’ve never met before now and yet you treated me like family. To not have any family near, I did not feel alone.” When Tsukasa was presented with the award, Jamal joined via FaceTime. #PeopleofHMH

Congratulations to Sandra Powell-Elliott, our vice president and chief innovation and commercialization officer, named a chief innovation officer to know by Becker's Healthcare. Under her leadership, our network has launched our first spin-out company, developed international programs and launched team member innovation campaigns resulting in success towards strategic goals, among many other achievements. We are proud to have her leadership on the team. Read the full list: https://lnkd.in/g5HVXNXD #innovation #chiefinnovationofficer #healthcare

Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert C. Garrett as he heads to Switzerland to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual meeting. Mr. Garrett will focus on AI in healthcare transformation, the need for more public-private partnerships and improving health equity globally. https://lnkd.in/er84_wXn #artificialintelligence #davos #worldeconomicforum #healthequity

At Hackensack Meridian Health, we are lucky to witness firsthand the unparalleled commitment, innovation and drive that our CEO, Robert C. Garrett, brings to work each and every day. His recognition as one of Modern Healthcare's Most Influential People is well deserved. As chair of the World Economic Forum's Health & Healthcare Governors Community and a keynote speaker at prestigious events like the HIMSS Conference and POLITICO Healthcare Summit, Bob's impact goes beyond his achievements within our network to a global scale. We are proud to see this work recognized as he receives this honor for the fourth time. #mostinfluential #modernhealthcare #ceo

Caring is what we do — not just for our community, but for our team. Linda McHugh, our executive vice president and chief experience and people officer, and Tria Deibert, our senior vice president of culture and team member wellbeing, joined the Heart of Safety Coalition Caring Greatly podcast to discuss how our culture builds toward a new level of care, for our network and beyond. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e9GqwyYG #podcast #care #culture

We are proud to announce that Opeyemi Oluwole has joined the Hackensack Meridian family as our senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Opeyemi’s career has been defined by innovation, growth and care. Across roles, she has challenged herself and her team, leading to undeniable results and outcomes, while remaining dedicated to inspiring and empowering customers, patients and team members alike. Ope is also a member of our community, with a personal connection to our purpose and our patients. We are thrilled to have her leadership, expertise and ingenuity at the helm of our marketing and communications team. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ejwzkbNu #healthcare #chiefmarketingofficer #marketing

For the Lopez family, 2025 is already an amazing year. As people across New Jersey celebrated, the soon-to-be parents and the labor and delivery team at Jersey Shore University Medical Center were bringing new life into the world. Their baby girl, Cataleya, was born at exactly the stroke of midnight. The Patel family welcomed a baby boy at JFK University Medical Center, the de Mendez family greeted baby Isabella at Raritan Bay Medical Center and the Jin family grew to include a baby girl at Hackensack University Medical Center. Congratulations to all of our New Year's babies and their happy families. We are so grateful to be a part of these beautiful memories.

Santa Claus is back in town. The holiday season is a particularly special time of year for Ron, the Freehold Raceway Mall's very own St. Nick. After a decade of experience portraying old St. Nick, he points out that he doesn't play Santa — he is Santa. But the retired teacher, who has diabetes, heart disease and kidney issues, was suffering. This spring, he visited his primary care doctor with a painful blister on his foot. He advised him to see a podiatrist if the wound didn't start healing on its own, but the agony was too great. Ron went to The Hirar and Anna Hovnanian Emergency Care Center at Ocean University Medical Center, and after a treatment still didn't help what turned out to be cellulitis, he was sent to the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart and Vascular Center to be screened for peripheral artery disease. Dr. Nicholas Russo, a vascular surgeon, determined his case was severe. It would require pedal bypass surgery, a rare procedure that takes a healthy vein from the thigh and uses it to bypass damaged leg arteries, restoring proper blood flow. “The techniques required to do pedal bypass are not something that every medical center can do,” Dr. Russo says. “This sets Ocean apart.” Doing nothing wasn’t an option: With no treatment, Ron stood a 30 percent chance of having to amputate his leg within a year. “If he loses his leg, not only does he not get to be Santa, but he would potentially need help to live at home or not be able to live independently,” Dr. Russo says. Dr. Joseph Guarino, a cardiologist, collaborated with the surgical team to coordinate his care. Just three days later, Ron left the hospital with no complications. It took a long recovery, including months of physical and occupational therapy to empower him to walk on his own. But the results have been worth it. Ron's blood flow is normal, his wound has healed and he continues physical therapy to keep up his stamina and balance. He's back on his feet and has donned his red suit once more. “It’s a privilege to represent the spirit of Christmas,” he says. “I have an attitude of gratitude.”