Hackensack Meridian Health Honored as a Finalist by the NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Awards Program

Hackensack Meridian Health is pleased to announce finalist recognitions in three categories of the 2018 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Awards.

The health network is being honored as a finalist in the Innovation Hero – Organization category for its Pediatric Behavioral Health Collaborative initiative; two affiliated physicians, Omar Baker, M.D. and Arno Fried, M.D., are being recognized as finalists in the Physician of the Year category; and Rosemarie Sorce, a dedicated board leader and longstanding volunteer, is being recognized as a finalist in the Volunteer of the Year category.

“I am delighted to congratulate our team members who are being celebrated as Innovation Hero finalists and Physician of the Year finalists, and I want to extend my gratitude to Ro Sorce for her compassion and generosity as Volunteer Hero finalist,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.

“We are proud of our 2018 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes finalists, who represent the very best of our everyday heroes,” said John K. Lloyd, FACHE, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are deeply appreciative of their dedication and service.”

Hackensack Meridian Health’s Pediatric Behavioral Health Collaborative, involving team members at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center, Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, and K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital, partner with state and professional organizations, and health care institutions, working in collaborative hubs, to provide pediatricians with the tools they need to connect their patients with mental health care. Since its inception as a pilot program three years ago, more than 77,000 patients have been screened, with direct service provided to 4,000 patients and their families.

Dr. Baker serves as an affiliated physician at Hackensack University Medical Center, contributing his expertise to numerous committees, and as co-president, chief quality and safety officer and director of performance improvement at Riverside Medical Group. Dr. Fried serves as chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery and chairman emeritus of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at Hackensack University Medical Center, and as a neurosurgeon and pediatric neurosurgeon for his practice at Advanced Neurosurgery Associates.

Rosemarie Sorce was recognized for her extensive experience as a board member and leader, for her forward-thinking philanthropy, and for logging more than 13,200 volunteer hours at Hackensack University Medical Center, going above and beyond as a volunteer leader.

The NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Awards program honors individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey. Finalists will be celebrated and the winner in each category will be announced during an awards breakfast and ceremony on Tuesday, June 19 at the Palace at Somerset Park.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the 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 16 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; 11 community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 160 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, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 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 one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center which is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." 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.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.