Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert C. Garrett Ranked No. 1 in CEO Forum's 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America

Mr. Garrett honored with prestigious ranking for 3rd year in a row for advancing health equity and building stronger communities

EDISON, N.J., July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most integrated health network, is proud to announce that CEO Robert C. Garrett is ranked No. 1 in the prestigious CEO Forum's 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare'' in the U.S. for the third year in a row.

In selecting Mr. Garrett as No. 1, the editorial board noted the network's remarkable advances to improve health equity and praised "Mr. Garrett's leadership in identifying social determinants, analysis of demographics and creating new levels of access, and methodology of inclusivity in training medical students.''

In the recently released magazine, Mr. Garrett is once again honored among an impressive roster of leading CEOs from prestigious organizations including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the American Medical Association, and Jefferson Health.

"Everyone in this extraordinary organization can claim ownership to this honor, our heroic front-line teams who continue to put patients first, our leadership teams who execute our winning strategies, our educators and our board members,'' Mr. Garrett said.

The network was recognized for a robust and rapidly growing social determinants of health strategy which addresses issues that greatly impact health in five areas: food insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation issues, caregiver support, and mental health/substance abuse treatment.

The network created two separate digital platforms which were built into the electronic medical record to help providers collect information about social needs from patients. In just two years, the network has screened 700,000 people and provided more than 2.4 million referrals to community resources many people in need did not even know existed.

Additionally, the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine offers an innovative and nationally acclaimed Human Dimension program to teach future physicians about the importance of the social determinants of health. While many schools offer courses or classes, this approach is foundational to the curriculum. Students go out in pairs to underserved patients throughout the entirety of their medical education. They do this while they are also mastering the hard sciences required of any M.D. candidate in the nation. By viewing healthcare through a broader lens, including non-medical issues, we add a human dimension to the training of future physicians.

"Every person in this nation should have equal access to high-quality healthcare providers and be given all the tools necessary to achieve optimal health," Mr. Garrett said.

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, a fitness and wellness center, 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