2023 Health Care Power 50: A

NJBIZ STAFF//March 27, 2023//

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Cathleen Bennett

As CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association, Bennett – a former New Jersey health commissioner – leads the trade organization that supports nearly 400 of the state’s hospitals, health systems and other health care providers. Over the past few years, the organization has been vital in helping its members work through the pandemic. According to a 2022 report from the NJHA, Garden State hospitals discharged 140,000 COVID patients since the pandemic’s onset and, through a statewide vaccination boost, pushed the survival rate from more than 73% in April 2020 to 96.1% in June 2022. All the while, providing $3.4 billion in community benefits, including food assistance, mental health support, and free and discounted care. Through the fall and winter, the organization has been helping to raise awareness through a particularly rough upper respiratory disease season for children. And the new year started off with more good news from the NJHA, which published a report in January revealing the success of a patient safety initiative it led to reduce birth complications and C-section rates in New Jersey. Bennett also oversees the Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey – a not-for-profit affiliate of NJHA that promotes continuing education, patient safety, quality improvement and research – as well as the for-profit Healthcare Business Solutions, which provides group purchasing and other business solutions for health care providers. In 2023, Bennett will lead the organization as it looks to help health care systems ensure fiscal stability and to build a health care workforce amid a nationwide shortage.

Thomas Cavalieri

In February, Cavalieri, who has served as dean of the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine since 2006, was appointed to serve as the in-augural senior vice provost of the Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences of Rowan University and chief academic officer of Virtua Health. Cavalieri has spearheaded a number of programs and initiatives during his time as dean of the medical school, including raising the standard of care for older adults. He is founding director of the Center of Aging, which has grown into the Rowan-Virtua New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, and has received numerous awards for his advocacy for osteopathic medical education and patient care. “Under Dr. Cavalieri’s leadership, the medical school has experienced tremendous growth, more than doubling enrollment and expanding to a second campus,” said Ali Houshmand, Rowan University president, when he announced Cavalieri’s appointment to the new post in February. “At the same time, the medical school’s clin-ical practice has continued to grow, with more than 130 physicians and health care providers delivering medical services throughout southern New Jersey.” In this role, Cavalieri will have oversight of all the undergraduate and graduate education and research programs, as well as the infrastructure and systems to support the academic mission of the three schools that are part of the Virtua Health College.

Joseph Chirichella

Deborah Heart and Lung Center recently welcomed the deputy undersecretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farah Ahmad, to its Browns Mills campus where she announced a $1 million Emergency Rural Health care grant for the facility, part of which will go toward making sure the region’s only heart, lung and vascular specialty hospital is prepared to respond to future pandemics. That hospital is led by President and CEO Chirichella, who’s been with Deborah for more than 35 years and in the top leadership spots since 2010. Under his guidance, Deborah was able to provide nearly 9,000 COVID-19 vaccinations from its clinic and post-COVID Recovery Clinic—one of the first in the tri-state. And though it has plenty of past to look back on at 100 years old, Deborah and its leader are clearly looking to the future. He said the recent funding would help to expand access in a way that is not just “pandemic ready,” but also “forward thinking.” To that end, DEBORAH100: The Project is also underway with Chirichella leading the $108 million renovation of the campus, and its first major capital expansion since the 1990s, which is on track for completion next spring.

Jim Davis

Davis replaced Stephen Rusckowski as CEO of Quest Diagnostics last November. In so doing, Davis took over one of the premier medical testing providers in the world. The Secaucus-based company says it serves one-third of U.S. adults and about half of the nation’s physicians each year. But Da-vis faces no shortage of challenges. Quest recently reported that full year revenues for 2022 fell by about 8.4% from 2021 to $9.88 billion last year. Still, the company maintains a network of 2,200 patient service centers and continues to show strength in its market. Davis is a 10-year executive of the company, having joined in 2013 as senior vice president of diagnostic services, and he was instrumental in refocusing the business on diagnostic information services, according to Quest. He was named senior vice president of operations in February 2014 and in 2017 was named executive vice president for general diagnostics, which the company said accounted for more than 80% of its revenues.

Robert Davis

Davis is chief executive officer and president of Merck, a company in transition. Davis took over the top job in July 2021 around the time Merck spun off its women’s health business into Organon. And the dealmaking has continued. Merck closed its $1.35 billion acquisition of biopharmaceutical company Imago BioSciences. And most recently, the company sold its former headquarters in Kenilworth to a joint venture that includes Onyx Equities. So, the work continues. Davis previously served as Merck’s president, responsible for the company’s operating divisions including Human Health, Animal Health, Manufacturing and Merck Research Laboratories. Merck remains one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country and posted worldwide sales of more than $59 billion in 2022, a 22% increase from the year before. Under Davis’s leadership, the company scored a perfect 100 on Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index.

Amadou Diarra

During BioNJ’s 30th Annual Dinner Meeting and Innovation Celebration in February, Diarra, senior vice president of global policy, advocacy & government affairs at Bristol Myers Squibb, took the baton from outgoing chair, Will Lewis, chair and CEO at Insmed, to begin his two-year term at the helm of BioNJ’s board. “I am honored to serve as BioNJ’s chair as we build on the path that Will and our board have set,” Diarra said. “This is a critical time for our industry, and I’m looking forward to working with the board, our members, and the BioNJ team to improve access to medicines for patients in need, protect medical innovation, and support New Jersey’s robust life sciences community, advancing in particular, BioNJ’s Health Equity in Clinical Trials Strategic Initiative … Because Patients Can’t Wait.” Diarra said he really wants the focus to be on patients and on the keyword, humanity. “With so many important opportunities and challenges facing the industry, we look forward to working with our new chair and all of our board officers and members as we forge ahead ensuring that New Jersey remains a robust life sciences ecosystem and that innovation and patient access are empowered,” said Debbie Hart, BioNJ president and CEO, in a statement announcing the 2023 appointments.

Amy Doran

In November 2022, Doran was named chief operating officer at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, becoming the first woman to serve in that role. After joining Newark Beth Israel in 1989 as a student nurse, Doran went on to become assistant vice president of emergency services in 2003, assistant vice president of patient care services in 2009, and chief nursing officer in 2017. During her tenure, she shared responsibility for integrating the organization’s strategic plan, while providing oversight for the delivery of high quality, safe, cost-effective and compassionate care. In announcing Doran’s appointment, Newark Beth Israel Chief Executive Officer and President Darrell Terry called it a “groundbreaking” move that supports “diversity, equity and inclusion” at the RWJBarnabas-owned facility. Newark Beth Israel, a 665-bed teaching hospital, has been consistently recognized as one of the best healthcare providers in the country. Along with being designated a “World’s Best Hospital” by Newsweek, Newark Beth Israel has received six consecutive “A” grades for safety from The Leapfrog Group.

Joaquin Duato

Like his counterpart at Merck, Duato runs a company in transition: Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest health care products provider, leading a global workforce of 135,000 in developing and delivering health care solutions in the pharmaceuticals, medical technology, and consumer health spaces. Duato is veteran at J&J, most recently serving as vice chairman of the executive committee. He took over the top job early in 2023, as the company was filing its formal plans to spin off its consumer health business. That company, Kenvue, will include such well-known brands as Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena and Band-Aid. The move represents the biggest restructuring in J&J’s 136-year history. What’s left is a large biotech and med-ical device business – a business that got even bigger with the $16.6 billion acquisition of Abiomed, which closed in December 2022. Abiomed fo-cuses on technology for heart, lung and kidney support, expanding J&J’s reach into the area of cardiovascular disease. Duato must also continue to deal with litigation over allegedly contaminated talcum powder. In January, a federal appeals court rejected the company’s effort to limit its liability by creating a company to house those claims. According to J&J, Duato’s accomplishments in previous roles include driving the transformation of the company’s pharmaceutical business into a global powerhouse by refocusing strategy and investment around core therapeutic areas and areas of greatest unmet need. He also played a large role in the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating global initiatives to safe-guard employee health and ensure business and supply chain continuity.

Matthew Edson

Edson is the founding dean of New Jersey’s first veterinary school, located at Rowan University. Pet owners will welcome the news, as vet appointments have become harder to come by as the profession struggles to add practitioners. The school will offer a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree as well as additional degrees and training programs to shape the future of animal health care in the state. The school will be developed with $75 million in funding approved by the Legislature in November and located in Sewell on the campus of Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester. An inaugural class of 60 is projected to start in 2025, pending approval from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Edson has taught several science classes as an adjunct professor and was a consultant to Rowan early on in its plans to establish the school—he’s more a businessman than an academic. The practice he started a decade or so ago is thriving, and for the past four years he’s been voted “Best Veterinarian” in Burlington County by readers of Burlington County Times. “Making sure these students are marketable is important to me … I have a real goal to make sure these students get an education and can enter practice,” he said.

Amanda Eisel

Eisel took the helm of health care payment company Zelis in 2021. Shortly after, the company acquired Sapphire Digital. This past fall, it continued on that growth path—making two acquisitions in three months’ time, first with the addition of Payer Compass. “Zelis is on a mission to create a better health care financial experience for all, and the powerful combination of our technology and teams advances us in achieving that aim,” Eisel said at the time. That move was followed shortly thereafter by the addition of Payspan. With Eisel at the helm, Zelis is expanding its reach, benefit-ting more than 700 payers, including the top five national health plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers, regional health plans, third party administrators and self-insured employers in addition to providers and consumers. The company is also making physical moves, and importantly within state lines, recently signing a more than 53,000-square-foot lease to set up shop in Morristown.

Warren Geller

As president and CEO of Englewood Health, Geller oversees a growing network comprised of more than 3,900 employees and over 1,200 physicians and other medical staff practitioners with revenue of $890.1 million—a number that has more than doubled since he took the helm in 2013. Englewood’s footprint has also grown under Geller’s leadership. In a push to move more services off campus – and closer to communities – a 73,000-square-foot outpost opened in Jersey City last fall, offering urgent and primary care, imaging and specialty care services. Meanwhile, Englewood is also expanding its boundaries further in Bergen County. “I want to push the convenient care off of our campus and for the campus – it’s really for those esoteric tests that you need – cancer treatment, wellness center, in-patient care, advanced surgery,” he told NJBIZ last April. “So more complex on campus. Less complex, more affordable, less expensive – off campus.” The first hospital leader in New Jersey to sign the CEO Action Pledge, which supports advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and reducing health care disparities, Geller was one of 650 leaders from U.S. hospitals to sign the Health Care Sector Climate Pledge in the fall. Such moves build on Englewood’s steps toward an equitable expansion of care and contribute to its ability to earn high marks. Rated a Best Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report at the end of 2022, last fall Englewood also received its 19th “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade rating since 2012.

Andre Goy

Appointed in June 2020 to the role of physician-in-chief of the Hackensack Meridian Health Oncology Care Transformation Service, Goy oversees cancer care across the entire Hackensack Meridian Health network, the largest such program in the state. Goy, an internationally renowned lymphoma clinician and researcher, has also served since 2011 as chairman and executive director of John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading cancer care and research centers, treating more than 35,000 cancer patients annually. Under his leadership, the network’s flagship oncology program became a member of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Consortium—one of only 16 research consortia in the nation approved by the National Cancer Institute. Goy has also chaired oncology for Hackensack Meridian Health for the past seven years as well as served as a professor of medicine at Georgetown University and professor and chair of oncology at Seton Hall–Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

Perry Halkitis

Halkitis leads the Rutgers School of Public Health as dean, which announced it would leave Twitter in the wake of changes on the platform following Elon Musk’s takeover. “As a school that espouses zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination, we’ve made the decision to leave. While our school’s account will remain a digital relic, we will no longer be active. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn,” the account tweeted Dec. 6. Halkitis, also the founder and director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies – a center that studies LGBTQ health with a focus on the disparities of infectious diseases including HIV, substance use and mental health burden – isn’t shy when it comes to standing up for public health. That was evident throughout the pandemic and again during last year’s monkeypox outbreak. So, for good reason, Halkitis and his decades-spanning career will be honored this year by the New Jersey Public Health Association with its highest honor, the Dennis J. Sullivan Award. As a public health psychologist, researcher, educator and advocate, Halkitis’ research has specialized in infectious diseases to determine and target the biological, behavioral, psychosocial and structural factors that predispose HIV, HPV, COVID-19 and other pathogens—and has been awarded more than $30 million in grant funding. He fights for the rights of those infected with and affected by HIV and has been an outspoken advocate for the rights and health of the LGBTQ+ population. Now, with the end of the national public health emergency on the horizon, Halkitis has offered in-sight into what that means in practical terms, including changes in costs and accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine along with a change in perception regarding the virus, and what implications both may have.

Lori Herndon

After seven years as president and chief executive officer of AtlantiCare, Herndon is expected to retire in June, bringing an end to her four decade-career with the Egg Harbor Township-based health care system. Herndon joined AtlantiCare in 1983 and went on to become a hospital administrator and chief operating officer before being named CEO in 2016. Earlier this month, the network announced Herndon’s retirement, saying she will transition her responsibilities May 31 and work with the board and leadership team as needed to support the changeover until she retires June 30. Board Chair David Goddard praised Herndon, stating her “impact on AtlantiCare and her leadership in the hospital has been far-reaching.” Along with providing “steady and solid leadership” through the pandemic, Herndon helped expand clinical services and programs in the region, Goddard said. During her tenure as CEO, the network acquired the Johns Brooks Recovery Center in fall 2022, making AtlantiCare the largest provider of mental health, substance use/addiction recovery services and family care social services in southeastern New Jersey. AtlantiCare closed out the year with the debut of its $38 million, 69,700-square-foot Medical Arts Pavilion in Atlantic City. Herndon also received several recognitions for her work at AtlantiCare, including being named as one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 most influential leaders in 2022 and one of NJBIZ’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2021.

Dave Hickey

As executive vice president and president of life sciences at Franklin Lakes-based BD – the former Beckton Dickinson & Co. – Hickey leads the company’s efforts to develop tests that will detect more multiple respiratory viruses. The company was recently granted an emergency use authorization for a test that can diagnose COVID, respiratory syncytial virus – or RSV – and flu A+B. Such tests make treatment much more efficient, potentially leading to better outcomes and less severe and widespread outbreaks. Under his guidance, the company has been at the forefront of the effort to make such tests easier and more efficient. The future lies in that direction, and Hickey is making sure BD continues its leadership position..

Leslie Hirsch

Hirsch has been president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, one of the few remaining Catholic hospitals in the state, since 2015; and before that, he spent seven years as president and CEO of Saint Clare’s Health System in Denville. According to Saint Peter’s, Hirsch has strengthened the system’s financial viability, positioning it for growth and pursuit of strategic options. All of this in the midst of continuing industry consolidation. To help preserve its Catholic mission and ensure long-term success, Saint Peter’s said it is exploring opportunities for strategic partnerships and other growth opportunities after the Federal Trade Commission blocked its proposed merger with RWJBarnabas Health – one of New Jersey’s largest health care networks – in June 2022. Saint Peter’s continues to expand clinical services. Its Health and Wellness Center, an extensively renovated outpatient center serving children and adults in Somerset, allows for expanded physical medicine and rehabilitation services. In 2023, Saint Peter’s will launch a major expansion and modernization of the hospital’s adult intensive care unit and will continue to widen pediatric surgical and specialized outpatient services offered by The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s.

Dianna Houenou and Jeff Brown

As chair and executive director, respectively, of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, Houenou and Brown lead the effort to ensure New Jersey’s legalized cannabis marketplace not only flourishes, but does so in a way that is equitable and sustainable. More than a decade after the launch of the state’s medical marijuana patient registry and a year after adult-use sales commenced, the number of dispensaries and cultivation facilities in New Jersey remains far below other states. The space also remains dominated by multistate operators, but the CRC says it wants to see more small entrepreneurs gain a foothold in the emerging industry. Houenou, who spent years pushing for the end of cannabis prohibition while with the ACLU-NJ, has pointed to the CRC’s priority application process, as well as new initiatives like the no-cost Cannabis Training Academy being launched by the New Jersey Business Action Center this year as “paving that path for them to be included” and the New Jersey Economic Development Au-thority’s Cannabis Equity Grant Program, which will provide grants of up to $250,000. In 2023, the CRC is continuing efforts to collect feedback that will help determine how the state invests social equity excise fees raised from recreational cannabis sales. Brown, who previously headed the state’s medical cannabis program, recently commented on the market’s potential for expansion, saying that he believes New Jersey is primed for growth. During a Feb. 13 Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee meeting on the current state of the cannabis industry and economic incentives for certain cannabis businesses, Brown said he is “extremely proud of the ground we’ve covered and confident in the direction” that state is going and New Jersey is being set up “to be a national model for the safe and sensible regulation of cannabis.”

Michael Johnson and Tom Villani

Under the leadership of co-founders Johnson and Villani, Visikol’s rapid growth has continued since its founding in 2016 at Rutgers University. In that short span, Visikol, a contract research organization that works with pharmaceutical and biotech firms to accelerate their drug discovery and development programs, counts many of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies among its clients and has helped in the discovery and development of dozens of drug companies. In 2021, it was acquired by CELLINK. “We founded Visikol five years ago with the vision to transform tissues into actionable insights for our customers. Over the years we have developed our offering by combining science with technology, which is spot on what CELLINK is all about,” said Johnson at the time of the announcement. And last summer, Visikol’s momentum continued when it announced that it was expanding its Hampton, Hunterdon County, footprint by 11,000 square feet with a new lab and office space. “It has been amazing to see Visikol grow from a small closet at Rutgers into a leading contract research services company that is shaping the way that research is conducted,” said Johnson. “This additional space will allow us to better serve the needs of our clients and to continually expand the breadth and depth of our con-tract research services offering.”

Robert Johnson

When Johnson was named dean of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in 2011, he was the first alumnus to serve in the role and his subsequent service, which ended recently, as interim dean of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School made him the first leader to oversee two medi-cal schools at the same time. With a shortage of health care workers hitting nationwide, Johnson’s leadership at the school educating the next gen-eration is even more important these days. To help that effort, the school is working on a project to modernize its 630,000-square-foot Medical Science Building—the center of the NJMS campus. A 2021 recipient of the NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award, Johnson’s clinical expertise and research focuses on adolescent physical and mental health, adolescent HIV, adolescent violence, adolescent sexuality, health equity and family strengthening. He also chairs the New Jersey Governor’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, the Newark Ryan White Planning Council, and the Board of Deacons at Union Baptist Church in Orange. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and vice chair of the Community Prevention Task Force of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doug Langa

After being named executive vice president, North American operations, and president of Novo Nordisk Inc. in August 2017, Langa helped return growth to the company’s largest sales region: the U.S. and Canada. While the Danish multinational drugmaker – which maintains its U.S. headquarters in Plainsboro – has been recognized primarily as a diabetes company over the past century and is currently one of three insulin makers that control 90% of the world’s supply, it is making moves to advance into new therapy areas, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. One of Novo Nordisk’s biggest success stories in recent years is Wegovy, a semaglutide authorized in June 2021 specifically for chronic weight management in adults who are overweight or obese with at least one weight-related condition. Wegovy was on the market for about six months when Novo Nordisk announced it was in short supply, attributing the shortage to an issue with its contracted manufacturer. After that, many physicians reportedly shifted to off-label prescriptions for semaglutide Ozempic to patients who needed or wanted to lose weight but could not access Wegovy. This trend intensified under the influence of social media campaigns promoting semaglutide as a quick fix for weight loss, eventually leading to shortages of Ozempic, as well, and prompting the company to take a multi-pronged approach to recover supply levels.

Steven Libutti

Libutti is the director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; vice chancellor for cancer programs at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences; and senior vice president, Oncology Services at RWJBarnabas Health. Both (Rutgers and RWJBarnabas) entities that are expanding their footprints in order to help expand care. RCI broke ground last year on a new cancer pavilion in New Brunswick that’ll offer oncological treatment in a singular hub: laboratory services, an outpatient clinic, infusion/chemotherapy suite, radiation oncology, imaging and international radiology. Meanwhile, in Livingston, work also recently began to bring a $225 million, 137,000-square-foot cancer center to the campus of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, which will serve as the northern hub for integrated oncology services offered by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. With Libutti leading the way, both efforts help bring care closer to home. And, according to a statement from Libutti, are just the latest examples “of how RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey are reimagining cancer care for the communities we serve.” Under Libutti’s guidance care is also going directly into homes: in November, with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the cancer institute launched the Garden State’s first home infusion pilot program. Overall, Libutti wrote in NJBIZ, “By providing inpatient care in conjunction with world-class treatment from top clinical professionals and unique patient amenities all in one footprint, we are enhancing the level of care for the patients we serve in New Jersey and beyond.”

Mark Manigan

Following Barry Ostrowski’s retirement at the end of 2022, Manigan took over as president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health after serving as the system’s chief strategy and business development officer. At the time of the appointment, Ostrowsky said Manigan “is a formidable strategist” who has helped the system expand. “In defining those attributes for success needed in our next leader, the board sought an individual with a broad portfolio of experiences, plus a bold vision for the future. I am confident that Mark brings these skills and much more to this position.” Manigan joined RWJBarnabas in 2019 as executive vice president, Business Development, and was promoted to chief strategy and development officer in 2020. He was responsible for the evolution of the strategic plan and oversight of RWJBarnabas Health’s Ambulatory Services Division. Manigan also served as a member of the system’s Strategic Council. Before joining RWJBarnabas Health, he was a leading health care attorney at Brach Eichler LLC, and served on both Gov. Phil Murphy’s and Gov. Chris Christie’s health care transition teams.

Amy Mansue

Since taking over as Inspira Health’s chief executive officer in September 2020, Mansue has been committed to building a healthier South Jersey. Before joining Inspira Health, Mansue spent four years as chief experience officer for RWJBarnabas Health. Previously, she held various health care positions over the past nearly three decades, including as Gov. Phil Murphy’s Central Jersey regional coordinator during the pandemic. She was also the chief executive officer of Children’s Specialized Hospital and the chair for both the New Jersey Hospital Association and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. The Mullica Hill-based health care organization – a system that includes three hospitals, two comprehensive care centers and eight multi-specialty health centers – began 2023 with a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of Salem Medical Center to its network. Inspira Health is also in the midst of a $71 million redevelopment project at its Woodbury Campus. The state-of-the-art facility – which is expected to be complete during the first quarter of 2024 – will house a new satellite emergency department, new EMS station and new inpatient behavioral health center. In commenting on U.S. News & World Report recently ranking Inspira Medical Centers Elmer, Mullica Hill and Vineland as 2022-23 High Per-forming Hospitals, Mansue said, “At Inspira, we take pride in being a health care partner for the community, and this recognition is a testament to our team’s commitment to high-quality patient care and experience – regardless of circumstance. As we evolve from the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to continue serving as a high performing hospital system for South Jersey and helping better the health of all.”

Paul Marden

As chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare’s commercial operations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, Marden leads the team responsible for providing products and services to businesses with up to 5,000 employees. Based in the company’s Iselin office, Marden also oversees UnitedHealthcare’s reputation in the community, as well his team’s relationships with brokers, regulators, legislators and customers. Marden, a 35-plus year industry veteran, remains focused on ensuring there are solutions to help keep health care costs low, as well meeting the growing need for comprehensive behavioral and mental health care for employees and lowering the cost of prescription medications for members. Along with serving on the boards of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Commerce & Industry Association, Marden is a frequent speaker on health care, business leadership and health insurance and a regular on NJBIZ’s Power 50 Health Care list since 2018.

Michael Maron

Maron continues to lead Holy Name Medical Center through this post-pandemic world with no shortage of challenges in the health care sector. But Holy Name continues to make headlines for exciting new programs and initiatives under Maron’s leadership. Earlier this month, a clinical trial at the health system’s MS Center led to FDA approval for a new medication that offers renewed hope and more efficient treatment for patients battling multiple sclerosis. That followed a December announcement that Holy Name received $3.3 million in federal funding to launch a new Graduate Medical Education program to help address the physician shortage the state faces. “There is nothing more important in health care right now than strengthening our future workforce. No one fought harder than Sen. [Robert] Menendez to ensure adequate funding to launch a new Graduate Medical Education program, training 90 new physicians here at Holy Name each year,” said Maron. “We’re also grateful for the committed leader-ship of Sen. [Cory] Booker, Congressman [Bill] Pascrell, and Congressman [Josh] Gottheimer who fought for the legislation in 2020 to raise the cap on the arbitrary number of allotted medical students we’re allowed to train. With New Jersey’s physician workforce facing significant pandemic-related retirements, this will be an important game-changer.”

Alessandro Maselli

Maselli stepped into the CEO role, in addition to joining the board of directors, for Somerset-based Catalent last summer, moving up from his positions as president and chief operating officer. “I’m energized by Catalent’s strong momentum, and I look forward to continuing the record of performance and growth that [former CEO] John [Chiminski] established for Catalent, making it the development and manufacturing partner of choice across our customers’ diverse pipelines and product portfolios,” he said at the time. Shortly thereafter, Catalent updated its operating structure, morphing its previous four segments into two: one focused on biologics and another targeting pharmaceuticals and consumer health. According to Maselli, in addition to responding to changing customer and industry trends, it also sets the company up to reach the next level. Its plans for growth were further solidified with Catalent’s announced $475 million acquisition of CDMO Metrics Contract Services later in the summer, which will add 400 employees and a 333,000-square-foot facility in Greenville, N.C., that has received $100 million in updates in recent years. Annually, Catalent supports partners in introducing 200 new products and manufacturing more than 70 billion doses each year with its 11,000-plus employees that support upwards of 7,000 products for 1,000 customers worldwide.

Audrey Meyers

After joining Valley Hospital in 1980, Meyers became president and chief executive officer in 1999 and then assumed that role four years later for Valley Health System. Now, as one of the longest-serving CEOs in New Jersey, Meyers runs one of the busiest hospitals in the state and a multi-specialty network that employs more than 4,000 physicians and staffers. Meyers has also been recognized for her community service, including her decades-long presence on such New Jersey Hospital Association board committees as strategic planning, and service as a member with terms as chair of the executive committee, executive compensation, governance & board development and policy development. She also served four years on the NJHA’s board of trustees, including eight years as an officer with terms as secretary, treasurer, vice chair, and chair. She’s currently oversee-ing construction of an $800 million, 40-acre health and wellness campus in Paramus that includes a new 372-bed, state-of-the art hospital to replace Valley’s longtime home in Ridgewood. Scheduled for completion later this year, the new campus will offer inpatient, outpatient, emergency and surgical care, helping Valley to better meet the rapidly changing health care needs of North Jersey for many years to come.

Christine Ann Miller

In her 30 months leading Melinta Therapeutics, Miller positioned the company as a leader in improving patient care and delivering acute care therapies. According to the company, she is an innovative leader who has increased revenues by 52% in two years. Miller has also overseen a rebranding, added to the leadership team and staff, increased employee engagement and retention, moved into new global markets and licensed new therapies. All of which makes Melinta a profitable and growing drugmaker, the company said. Miller also led Melinta’s recent move into a state of the art, 14,000-square-foot global headquarters in Parsippany.

Achintya Moulick

Dr. Moulick, a trained neonatal cardiac surgeon, leads CarePoint Health as CEO, a post he assumed in 2020. Last spring, the system – which employs more than 3,000 people in the region – began its transition to a nonprofit, allowing it to maintain critical care for Hudson County residents at its three hospitals: Christ Hospital in Jersey City, Hoboken University Medical Center and Bayonne Medical Center. That move was made official at the start of 2023 with final approvals from the State Health Planning Board. “With our nonprofit structure now fully in place, CarePoint Health will have access to critical financial support from the state and federal governments, as well as reduced costs and access to charitable fundraising contribu-tions — all of which will make our hospitals stronger and more financially solvent,” Moulick said at the time. Last month, CarePoint and Alaris Health reached a mutual settlement over a Bayonne Medical Center lawsuit dating back to 2020 that had kept the brand’s name in the news as concerns about the location’s future seemed to hang in the balance. Now, it’s time to look ahead and harness that forward momentum. And CarePoint and Moulick have been building for the future, through efforts like its partnership with Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. “Through the number of partnerships and initiatives over the last two years, we have built an advanced health care system as a leader and innovator in medicine,” Moulick said, “with much more to come.”