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After 46 years with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway – including 30 at its helm – President and CEO Kirk Tice will retire at the end of 2024, according to a July 18 announcement. 

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Kirk Tice for his dedication, service and leadership over the last four-plus decades at RWJUH Rahway,” RWJBarnabas Health President and CEO Mark Manigan said in a statement. 

“Kirk has navigated the ever-changing healthcare landscape of New Jersey for half a century, all while keeping with his vision of putting patients first,” Manigan added. “He will be remembered for his legacy of commitment to better serve the residents of Union County.”    

RWJUH Rahway credited Tice’s leadership for several of the hospital’s accomplishments, including: 

• Six consecutive A grades in Hospital Safety by the Leapfrog Group;  
• Recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation: Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality, for multiple years, most recently in 2024; 
• Becoming fully accredited by the Joint Commission and certification through the American Diabetes Association;  
• Awarded the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award for heart attack treatment for its mobile intensive care unit; and more. 

Tice, who will be recognized as a 2024 NJBIZ ICON Award recipient Aug. 13, said it was “an honor and privilege” to lead the RWJUH Rahway team over the past three decades. 

“I am truly fortunate to have worked beside so many professionals who care deeply for the patients and communities we serve. RWJUH Rahway will forever be in my blood and I wish them continued success,” Tice said. 

A company representative told NJBIZ that a search for Tice’s replacement is underway.

Executive appointments 

RWJBarnabas Health also recently announced other executive moves within its facilities. The new hires follow a slew of appointments the network made in June.

Chief pediatric officer 

Dr. Fernando “Ferd” Ferrer, was appointed chief pediatric officer, effective July 8. Ferrer will serve as chief pediatric physician for the entire network. 

In partnership with Bill Faverzani, senior vice president of Children’s Health, and in collaboration with the health system’s leadership team, its affiliates and Rutgers Health, Ferrer is responsible for developing pediatric care standards and models for the health system. He works in partnership  

Ferrer most recently served as senior vice president of Children’s Services for the Mount Sinai Health System and chief operating officer of Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York. He was also a professor in the Department of Urology and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 

Medical director 

On July 11, RWJBarnabas Health, along with Rutgers Cancer Institute, announced Dr. Gerardo Capo will serve as medical director of Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center at Trinitas Regional Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. 

Capo is the first Hispanic medical director for the hospital, which is located in a predominantly Hispanic and immigrant-born area, according to the health network. 

An oncologist who specializes in breast and gastrointestinal tumors, Capo recently completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City as well as a fellowship in pain and palliative care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.