Hackensack Meridian Health Announces Two Recipients of Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards

Hackensack Meridian Health is pleased to announce that two of the health network’s esteemed physician leaders are recipients of Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards.

The winners are: Bonita Stanton, M.D., founding dean, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University and president, Academic Enterprise, Hackensack Meridian Health; and David Kountz, M.D., MBA, co-chief academic officer and vice president, Academic Diversity, Hackensack Meridian Health, vice president, Academic Affairs, Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and founding associate dean, Diversity and Equity, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Stanton and Dr. Kountz on these prestigious awards,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are grateful for the essential roles they play in transforming health care and serving as leaders of positive change.”

Dr. Stanton, who will be honored with an Outstanding Medical Educator Award, is being recognized as an innovator and visionary in leading the development of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

Dr. Kountz, who will be honored with the Verice M. Mason Community Service Leader Award, is being recognized for his commitment to community outreach, his dedication to the promotion of diversity in the health care environment, and his passion for educating and inspiring students to pursue careers in the health professions.

“I am delighted and also so proud of our 2019 Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Award winners,” said John K. Lloyd, FACHE, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are grateful for their deep dedication and unique vision.”

MDAdvantage Insurance Company, a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance, presents and supports the Edward J. Ill Awards, honoring New Jersey health care providers. The 2019 awards will be presented at a ceremony on May 1 in East Brunswick. All profits from the event will support medical and health care student scholarships.

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 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; nine 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; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore 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, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. 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 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.” The network was also named to Becker’s Healthcare’s “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018” list.

Hackensack Meridian Health partnered with Seton Hall University to launch the first private medical school in New Jersey – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University - in more than 50 years to address a growing shortage of physicians and dramatic changes in health care delivery. 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 and Carrier Clinic, New Jersey’s oldest and most respected behavioral health provider, signed a definitive agreement to merge.

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.