Hackensack Meridian Health Celebrates Babies Born Across the Network in New Year The Network’s First Baby of 2026 is a Girl Born at Mountainside Medical Center

While the nation was ringing in the start of 2026, several New Jersey families were getting a bit bigger, welcoming the first babies of the new year born across the Hackensack Meridian Health network, New Jersey’s largest, most comprehensive and integrated health network.

Hackensack Meridian Health proudly joins the team at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair in welcoming a baby girl who was born at 1:05 AM. Nova Nicole Norton is the daughter of proud parents, Naomi and Ezra Norton of Somerset, New Jersey. Baby Nova weighs 6 pounds and 3 ounces.

Photo Courtesy of Hackensack Meridian Health.

“The arrival of the first babies of 2026 is a joyous and exciting moment for all of us at Hackensack Meridian Health. It's a powerful reminder of our mission: to provide the highest quality care to every mother and child,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “My deepest thanks go to our outstanding team members for their unwavering commitment, and we send our warmest congratulations to the proud new parents. We wish all our communities a vibrant and healthy new year.”

Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals were once again named to U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Hackensack Meridian’s Hackensack University Medical Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Ocean University Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center were all named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list. This “high performing” designation is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ annual Best Hospitals for Maternity Care study.