Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert C. Garrett Named Chair of the World Economic Forum's Health and Healthcare Governor's Community

In prestigious role, Mr. Garrett will lead a committee of global CEOs and sets the agenda for the community

EDISON, N.J., Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most integrated health network, is proud to announce that CEO Robert C. Garrett has been named Chair of the World Economic Forum's (Forum) Health and Healthcare Governor's Community.

"We learned in the COVID-19 pandemic that healthcare is more global than ever and I am honored to serve in this role with the World Economic Forum and help address some of the world's most challenging healthcare issues,'' said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. "Together we can improve outcomes and help to transform healthcare globally.''

In this two-year term, Mr. Garrett will help define the industry agenda and drive change with the Forum to improve access to healthcare and outcomes and to drive more efficiency in the industry.

"We are delighted to have Mr. Garrett chair our Health & Healthcare Governor's Community,'' said Dr. Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health & Healthcare at the World Economic Forum. "We believe with him at the helm, during this period, the community will make significant strides in solving the pressing challenges of the healthcare industry and drive much needed impact especially in areas of health outcomes and access. We look forward to working closely with him. ''

Potential global agenda items include digital technologies to make care more accessible while protecting patient privacy, addressing health equity and the impact of climate change on personal health.

Mr. Garrett has participated at the Forum's annual meeting in Davos for the last several years, including most recently in January when the Forum launched a new report, Global Health and Healthcare Strategic Outlook, which addresses misinformation, funding challenges, mental health, inequities, workforce shortages, supply chains, climate impacts and macroeconomic instability. The report also offers business and policy-makers a blueprint for more sustainable, resilient healthcare systems.

Mr. Garrett also signed the Zero Health Gaps Pledge in Davos in January, the world's first, multisector health equity pledge, along with 39 other leaders from eight countries. It is a commitment to ensure that people in all communities have access to high-quality healthcare.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
Hackensack Meridian Health is 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.

Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals – Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, Old Bridge Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; a behavioral health hospital – Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has more than 36,000 team members, and 7,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having more top-ranked hospitals than anyone in New Jersey, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Hackensack University Medical Center is the only hospital in New Jersey with the #1 adult and children's hospital rankings. 

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its campus in Nutley and Clifton. The Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), housed in a fully renovated state-of-the-art facility, seeks to translate current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases and other life-threatening and disabling conditions.

Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies. To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.

SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health