Hackensack University Health Network and Seton Hall University Sign Definitive Agreement to Form New Jersey's Only Private School of Medicine

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Health Network (HackensackUHN) and Seton Hall University (SHU) announced today that the two organizations have signed a definitive agreement to form a new, four-year school of medicine. Earlier this year, HackensackUHN and SHU signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the establishment of the school.

"This definitive agreement with Seton Hall University marks another step forward for our new school of medicine," said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of HackensackUHN. "We are excited to build a world-class institution that will prepare future healthcare professionals in an innovate curriculum. The opportunities are endless when combining our clinical expertise and Seton Hall University's academic reputation."

"We look forward to partnering with Hackensack University Health Network to create a top-tier school of medicine," said Seton Hall President A. Gabriel Esteban. "The school will be built upon Hackensack's extensive clinical and research expertise combined with the University's nationally recognized academic strengths in the sciences, nursing, and health and medical sciences."

This partnership will establish the only private Catholic school of medicine currently in the state and provide a significant economic boost to the region. Establishing a school of medicine with the backing of two esteemed institutions will attract the best and brightest to the field of medicine in the State of New Jersey and help curb the critical physician shortage that the state and the nation currently face.  By 2020, it is estimated there will be a shortage of 2,500 physicians in the Garden State.  In order to make this transformational project a reality, HackensackUHN and SHU will launch a significant philanthropic fundraising effort and will seek State funding and incentives.

Earlier this year, the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners granted conditional approval to the project, subject to the approval from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree. Accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the Public Health Service.

The school of medicine will be committed to educational and healthcare excellence, cutting-edge research, high quality care, and the advancement of medical and health science educational imperatives. Seton Hall's plan to co-locate its College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences with the new school of medicine is not only innovative but mirrors how healthcare will be delivered in the future. HackensackUHN's hospitals will serve as the primary clinical teaching sites for SHU and SHU-affiliated graduate education programs.

About Hackensack University Health Network 
Hackensack University Health Network is the New Jersey-based parent company of HackensackUMC, the HackensackUMC Foundation, Hackensack University Medical Group, and corporate joint venture partners with LHP Hospital Group in ownership of two hospitals: HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley and HackensackUMC Mountainside. In April 2015, HackensackUHN welcomed Palisades Medical Center as a full member of the Network, marked by the execution of a definitive agreement. Together with six other health systems, the Network is part of the nation's largest healthcare consortium of its kind, AllSpire Health Partners; with a total of 28 hospitals and service area of more than six million people. HackensackUHN also enjoys clinical and academic affiliations with some of the nation's most well-renowned health systems, hospitals and universities, including: CentraState Healthcare System, CityMD, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seton Hall University, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MinuteClinic, NYU Langone Medical Center's Division of Pediatric Surgery, Palisades Medical Center, Rutgers Medical School, St. George's University, and Stevens Institute of Technology. With more than 10,800 employees, 3,300 credentialed medical staff members and 1,717 hospital and nursing home beds at hospitals within the Network, Hackensack University Health Network is one of the largest healthcare systems in New Jersey.

About Seton Hall University
One of the country's leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been developing students in mind, heart and spirit since 1856.  Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous majors, Seton Hall's academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.  Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has experienced record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth as well as more than a 70 point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen.  Since 2007, Seton Hall students and alumni have been awarded 18 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors including a Rhodes Scholar. A founding member of the new Big East Conference, the Seton Hall Pirates field 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports teams.  The university's beautiful main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles from New York City – offering its students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university's nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.  For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

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SOURCE Hackensack University Health Network