Hackensack University Medical Center At Pascack Valley Appoints Healthcare Veteran Chad Melton As New CEO

DALLAS and WESTWOOD, N.J., July 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LHP Hospital Group, Inc. ("LHP") and Hackensack University Medical Center today announced that Chad Melton will be joining HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley as CEO, effective immediately. HackensackUMC and LHP formed a joint venture in 2009 to reopen the former Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, NJ, which was closed in April 2008.  Earlier this year, the State of New Jersey approved reopening the hospital under the HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley name – a decision that paved the way for HackensackUMC to extend its world-class healthcare network to the Pascack and Northern Valley regions, and cut drive times in cases of emergency.

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"HackensackUMC is known for high quality care with a focus on patient safety and efficiency. We are intent upon making certain the Pascack and Northern Valley region has the same exceptional care.  Extraordinary results begin by building an exceptional team and we are pleased to have Chad Melton at the helm," said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Health Network.

As CEO, Mr. Melton will be responsible for the start-up planning, hiring, and day to day operations of the new (reopening summer 2013) hospital in Pascack Valley. He will work collaboratively with Rich Freeman, who is the New Jersey market president for LHP, as well as with other leaders from HackensackUMC, LHP and the Joint Venture Board of Directors. Mr. Melton joins HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley from LHP Hospital Group, Inc., in Dallas, where he served most recently as division director of operations and was responsible for business development and operational assessment of LHP's Pocatello, Idaho and Sherman, Texas acute care facilities. 

"Our work to restore much-needed hospital services to the Pascack and Northern Valley is well underway, and Chad is the ideal leader to ensure we open on time and on budget," Mr. Freeman commented. "He brings a deep understanding of both the Joint Venture model that has served LHP and its partners so well, as well as expertise in the difficult and detail-oriented work of opening a new hospital. His track record speaks for itself in this regard, and we're delighted to welcome him on board."

"I am honored to have been selected as the CEO at HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley and excited about being part of the Westwood community," Mr. Melton added. "This is a region that will benefit immensely from having high quality, customer focused  care closer to home, and I look forward to working with HackensackUMC's leadership team, LHP, the Joint Venture Board of Directors and our physicians to begin integrating services and maintaining the quality standards HackensackUMC is known for.

During his tenure at LHP, Mr. Melton focused on integrating partner facilities into LHP operations and business development. In addition to carrying out these responsibilities at LHP's Pocatello and Sherman facilities, he has shown an unwavering commitment to service excellence and physician development. Prior to his time with LHP, Mr. Melton served as Associate Administrator at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Denton, TX. At Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton, he was responsible for the operational performance of the 255 bed acute care facility. Mr. Melton has a proven track record in quality and has assisted his teams in achieving  Chest Pain Center Accreditation, Primary Stroke Center Designation, Joint Commission Accreditation, to name a few. 

Mr. Melton holds his Masters in Health Administration from Texas State University.

About HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley
HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley will be a 128-bed, full-service, acute-care community hospital, providing the same nationally recognized quality care for which Hackensack University Medical Center is known. The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a state-of-the-art obstetrical unit, an intensive/critical care unit, five operating rooms, one special procedure room, and a cardiac catheterization laboratory. This inpatient hospital will act as an anchor to many in-demand, outpatient services such as radiology, women's health and same-day surgery.

About Hackensack University Medical Center
HackensackUMC, a non-profit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, New Jersey, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state, and home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the county. This 775-bed facility has gone beyond traditional thinking by creating an entire campus of care, including: the Heart & Vascular Hospital, the John Theurer Cancer Center, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, and the Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital. As a result of using science and creativity to push medicine further, HackensackUMC has been named one of the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® and one of America's 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades®. It is listed among the Leapfrog Top Hospitals List, received 17 Gold Seals of Approval™ by the Joint Commission,  is ranked in Cancer, Cardiology and Heart Surgery, and Geriatrics by U.S. News and World Report's "2011-12 Best Hospitals" list, is ranked in eight specialties on U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals Metro Area Top 10," is listed as one of the 50 Best Hospitals in America by Becker's Hospital Review, and is a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence, the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation. The Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital was among the top 25 Best Children's Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report's "2012-13 Best Children's Hospitals" rankings. The medical center is the hometown hospital of the New York Giants, and remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events. To learn more about one of the nation's top 50 hospitals, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org.   

About LHP Hospital Group, Inc.
LHP Hospital Group, Inc. (LHP) is a privately held company established to provide essential capital and expertise to not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems. In cooperation with local hospitals, LHP forms joint ventures to acquire, own, operate and manage acute care facilities in small cities and select urban markets throughout the United States. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, LHP is owned by affiliates of the private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC and the CPP Investment Board as well as certain members of management and the board of directors. For more information, please go to www.lhphospitalgroup.com.

SOURCE LHP Hospital Group, Inc.