NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes winners Top ten bring home big awards for their service

Ten members of the health care community in the state of New Jersey were honored for their exemplary work Tuesday morning as the winners at the 2014 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards program at the Palace in Somerset.

The program honors individuals and organizations that are making a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey.

Comcast Business and Hackensack University Health Network served as the major sponsors for the event.

WithumSmith Brown PC and the NJHA served as supporting sponsors.

The ten event winners were as follows:

Education Hero — Individual
Desiree James-Barber, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Education Hero — Organization
Children’s Cariomyopathy Foundation

Health Care Profesisonal of the Year
Esther Deblinger, Cares Institute, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hospital of the Year
Shore Rehabilitation Institute

Innovation Hero
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Heart Transplant and Heart Failure Treatment Program

Nurse of the Year
Judith Kutzleb, Holy Name Medical Center

Physician of the Year
Dr. Martin A. Finkel, Care Institute, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Volunteer of the Year
Seth Grumet, Stomp The Monster

Women’s Health and Wellness Hero
Dr. Dana Holwitt, Saint Clare’s Health System

Workplace Wellness Hero
Hackensack University Medical Center

Complete bios on the winners plus the list of the finalists in each category appear below.

MD On-Line served as the centerpiece sponsor and Comcast Spotlight served as the welcome sponsor.

NJBIZ is currently accepting nominations for two future events.

Click here to nominate someone for our CFO event.

Click here to nominate someone for our Forty Under 40 event.

EDUCATION Hero – Individual – WINNER

Desiree James-Barber
Title: Director, School-based Youth Services Program
Company: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Town/County: Newark, Essex County

Bio: Adolescence can be a rocky period, not just for young people, but also for the adults trying to lend a helping hand.

For Desiree James-Barber, young people are a source of inspiration. She runs The Bear Zone, a program that helps inner-city high school students stay on the academic track. The school-based youth services program represents a collaboration between the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of New Jersey and Barringer High School in Newark.

“My ‘go-to’ stress reliever at work is engaging our high school students in conversations about current events,” James-Barber says. “We have lively, heartfelt and laughter-filled talks with these remarkable young people. The exchange of information and insight gained from talking to our youth about their experiences and views always gives me hope for the world.”

Over the years, James-Barber has imparted her own share of hope. She has directed the program since 2006 with the goal of helping all students, regardless of academic level or background, get the most out of their school experience. Thanks to her leadership, 98 percent of students enrolled in the program go on to graduate.

Offered year-round, The Bear Zone provides learning support, as well as referrals to community-based programs and access to primary and preventive health services. Students meet both during and after school, and have gone on field trips to college campuses, cultural institutions and arts venues.

“The most meaningful part of my job is the ability to provide students from a low-income urban community with access to resources and exposure to opportunities that they are not normally afforded,” James-Barber says. “My staff and I are able to help our students navigate their adolescent years with a focus on graduating from high school and establishing a path that will lead to a productive and rewarding adult life.”

EDUCATION Hero – Individual – FINALISTS

Dr. Thomas Cavalieri
Title: Dean
Company: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Town/County: Stratford, Camden County

Dr. Joseph Feldman
Title: Chairman of Emergency Services
Company: Hackensack University Medical Center
Town/County: Hackensack, Bergen County

Mike Munoz
Title: Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Company: Amerihealth New Jersey
Town/County: Cranbury, Middlesex County

Lisa Salberg
Title: Founder
Company: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Town/County: Hibernia, Morris County

EDUCATION Hero – Organization – WINNER

Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation
Top Executive: Lisa Yue, Founding President and Executive Director
Town/County: Tenafly, Bergen County

Lisa Yue and Eddie Yu know firsthand the informational void that can compound the pain felt by parents whose children suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare but deadly heart disease. The couple lost two children to the disease.

One, Bryan, was undiagnosed, while doctors struggled to save the other, Kevin, as he waited for a heart transplant.

To bring attention to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and help other parents, Lisa and Eddie founded the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation in 2002. Over the last 12 years, the foundation has raised more than $8 million for research and initiatives related to pediatric cardiomyopathy. It has grown into a community of families, physicians and scientists focused on improving diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for children with the disease.

The foundation’s achievements include helping to fund the first cardiomyopathy DNA and tissue repository and to organize the first international scientific conference dedicated to the illness. Several researchers initially supported by the foundation have gone on to secure multiyear funding from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, allowing them to expand their research.

In addition, the foundation recently worked with lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to introduce the first bill on cardiomyopathy.

The foundation’s latest venture, launched in 2012, is a program designed to assist low-income families in need of financial assistance while their children are undergoing treatment.

“Many times, people do not realize how devastating cardiomyopathy can be to a family because children with the disease do not always look sick,” Lisa says.

“This chronic heart disease places an unimaginable burden on families, both emotionally and financially.”

Although progress has been made, there is still work to be done. Plans include continuing to support studies that lead to improvements in managing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and in reducing mortality and the need for transplants. Also on the drawing board is a national clinical study to test therapies that address underlying causes of the disease.

EDUCATION Hero – Organization – FINALISTS

Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention
Top Executive: Connie Greene, Vice President
Town/County: Toms River, Ocean City

Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation/LIFELINE CHALLENGE TO HEALTHY LIVING
Top Executive: Mary Ellen Clyne, President and CEO
Town/County: Belleville, Essex County

Meridian Health’s Paint the Town Pink
Top Executive: John Lloyd, President and CEO
Town/County: Neptune, Monmouth County

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Community Health Promotions Program
Top Executive: Stephen Jones, President and CEO
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
Top Executive: Kirk Tice, President and CEO
Town/County: Rahway, Union County

The American Conference on Diversity
Top Executive: Elizabeth Williams-Riley, President and CEO
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – WINNER

Esther Deblinger
Title: Professor and Co-Director
Company: Cares Institute, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Town/County: Stratford, Camden County

Bio: While others addressed physical scars left behind by Superstorm Sandy, Esther Deblinger and her team at CARES Institute tackled the psychological scars.

They used an approach Deblinger has honed over the years to heal the emotional damage inflicted on children by natural catastrophes and other traumatic events, including sexual abuse and domestic violence.

The approach, called Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or TF-CBT, has earned international acclaim for its ability to help children recover.

A treatment manual has been translated into Dutch, German, Japanese and other languages, and the approach has been used extensively around the world. Mental health professionals applied TF-CBT after the Japanese tsunami and earthquake in 2011, for example.

Deblinger spends much of her time teaching others to use the technique, which has shown results in multiple studies undertaken by researchers in Canada, Norway, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries. To date, more than 150,000 mental health professionals around the world have been trained in the use of TF-CBT.

Deblinger also maintains an individual practice, meeting once a week with patients and their families at CARES, which stands for Child Abuse Research, Education & Service.

“Providing direct care reminds me of the incredible impact our therapy models have on children and their families,” Deblinger says. “And this clinical work helps me to cope with the less-pleasant aspects of my career, in terms of dealing with budgets and financial concerns that are critical to ensure that the CARES Institute can continue to engage in service, delivery, research and training efforts necessary to address the therapeutic needs of the vulnerable and needy populations we serve.”

Deblinger also enjoys the educational aspect of her work and, in another life, might have become a full-time teacher. “I think I would have enjoyed teaching children or teenagers in a setting where I could really get to know them and influence their lives in a positive direction through an educational approach,” she says.

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS

Elaine Hewins
Title: Domestic Violence Education and Awareness Program Coordinator
Company: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

Denise Lang-Grant
Title: Coordinator
Company: Morris Cares @ Atlantic Health
Town/County: Morristown, Morris County

Rev. Barbara Miles
Title: Director of Pastoral Care
Company: Community Medical Center
Town/County: Toms River, Ocean County

Joseph Roth
Title: President and CEO
Company: NJ Sharing Network
Town/County: New Providence, Union County

Dr. David Shulkin
Title: President
Company: Morristown Medical Center
Town/County: Morristown, Morris County

HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR – WINNER

Shore Rehabilitation Institute
Top Executive: Amit Mohan, Executive Director
Town/County: Brick, Ocean County

Bio: “State of the art” is a moving target, but one that Shore Rehabilitation Institute has no trouble hitting.

Even after nearly 20 years, the acute rehab hospital is finding new ways to serve patients in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

In 2013 alone, Shore added a rehabilitation technology center outfitted with the latest equipment, and a driver education training program uniquely designed to address the needs of people with disabilities. In addition, 19 members of the Shore team became certified brain injury specialists.

But it’s not just training and technology that elevate the care available at Shore, a joint venture between Meridian Health and JFK Health System.

The hospital’s doctors, nurses, therapists and other support personnel are committed to Shore’s mission and have a keen understanding of the needs of patients who have suffered strokes, accidents or other trauma. Patients want to get well enough to return home and live as independently as possible, and Shore’s staff supports them wholeheartedly.

“I always think of my therapists as my angels,” wrote one patient who spent time at Shore after suffering a neck fracture. “They have chosen a very noble profession, and it is because of them that I was able to achieve my goal of walking again. My long road began at your facility, and I will be forever grateful to your staff for helping to restore my life.”

The support extends outside Shore’s walls. The facility’s employees advocate for people with disabilities by partnering with community organizations that share the same goal. The organizations include the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and the Amputee Coalition of America. On its own, Shore is in the process of developing a scholarship for individuals with disabilities.

Looking ahead, Shore strives to continue to make improvements in the patient experience and in the quality of care, areas for which it already is earning national recognition. Last year, the hospital was named one of the best 100 rehab facilities and hospitals by Rehab Management magazine.

HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS

HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley
Top Executive: Chad Melton, CEO
Town/County: Westwood, Bergen County

Kennedy Health System
Top Executive: Joseph Devine, President and CEO
Town/County: Voorhees, Camden County

INNOVATION HERO – WINNER

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Heart Transplant and Heart Failure Treatment Program
Top Executive: Stephen Jones, President and CEO
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

Bio: Patients diagnosed with end-stage heart failure often hear even worse news: They must wait for a heart to become available for transplantation.

They may hear something more encouraging from the heart transplant and heart failure treatment program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Founded in 1999, the program’s team of 16 doctors, nurses and other professionals has developed a suite of innovative tools and strategies to assist and support patients.

Chief among those tools are ventricular assist devices, or VA Ds, which can serve as a lifesaving bridge or a destination therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure.

One patient received a VA D after suffering a life-threatening heart attack. She and her husband received a thorough education on the device, as did emergency medical technicians, firefighters and police officers serving the patient’s community. She is now home, enjoying trips to Atlantic City and other destinations.

“I never thought I would come home again,” she says. “Now, I feel like my old self.”

VA Ds are not the only tool at the team’s disposal. It also offers biventricular pacemakers, access to clinical trials and transplantation services with relatively shorter waiting times. Since 1999, the team has made 136 heart transplants, and treated hundreds of patients.

Other procedures available from the team include minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft and valve surgery, transcathartic aortic valve replacement, and cardiac resynchronization therapy with epicardial lead placement. The team also provides short-term/acute mechanical circulatory support for the heart using devices such as the Impella 2.5 and 5.0.

All patients, meanwhile, benefit from extensive evaluation and management, delivered by a multidisciplinary team of coordinators and nurse practitioners. The team also includes a social worker and nutritionist specializing in the management of heart failure and heart transplant patients.

Plans call for extending the team’s outreach to referring cardiologists and establishing satellite units to reach into the community.

INNOVATION HERO – FINALISTS

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Top Executive: John Brennan, President and CEO
Town/County: Newark, Essex County

BioArray Solutions
Top Executive: Joanne Spadoro, General Manager
Town/County: Warren, Somerset County

NJ Self-Help Group Clearinghouse at Saint Clare’s Health System
Top Executive: Les Hirsch, President and CEO
Town/County: Denville, Morris County

NPS Pharma
Top Executive: Francois Nader, President and CEO
Town/County: Bedminster, Somerset County

Shafiq Rab
Title: Vice President and CIO
Company: Hackensack University Medical Center
Town/County: Hackensack, Bergen County

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center
Top Executive(s): William McDonald, President and CEO
Town/County: Paterson, Passaic County

NURSE OF THE YEAR – WINNER

Judith Kutzleb
Title: Vice President of Advanced Practice Professionals
Company: Holy Name Medical Center
Town/County: Teaneck, Bergen County

Bio: Judith Kutzleb lives by a simple mantra, “What do I need to do next?”

Her nursing career is packed with answers.

Armed with a doctorate, Kutzleb has held a variety of roles in medical and academic settings.

At Holy Name Medical Center’s oncampus clinic, she is the primary provider for the management of acute and chronic diseases. She also is affiliated with a primary care practice in Maywood, and provides medical management for psychiatric patients at a facility in Hawthorne.

Kutzleb also founded Holy Name’s Healthy Hearts Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to help patients manage their own illnesses more effectively. She also played a role in developing a nurse practitioner ambulatory clinic that provides care to underserved and uninsured patients in Bergen County.

Academically, Kutzleb is an assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of the graduate program in advanced practice nursing at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Under her guidance, the program has bloomed from four students to more than 380.

Her research specialties are traumatic brain injury and heart failure, fields in which she has made notable contributions.

Despite her demanding schedule, Kutzleb still carves out time to volunteer at Eva’s Village in Paterson, providing care to the underserved and people dealing with substance abuse issues. She also volunteers through the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative.

She also makes regular medical missions to Haiti, packing an app called MediBabble, which translates between English and Haitian Creole. Dr. David Butler, who has been leading the missions for more than 20 years, inspired her to sign up.

“Having the honor to be a part of his medical team for several years, I have experienced his genuine passion of caring for those in need,” Kutzleb says. “Through this experience, I was able to unleash my gift of healing and passion to make a difference in the lives of the people in Haiti, as well.”

NURSE OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS

Kimberly Brennan
Title: Bariatric Center of Excellence Program Coordinator
Company: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

Laura Cardillo
Title: Director of Nursing
Company: The Avalon Assisted Living in Hillsborough
Town/County: Hillsborough, Somerset County

Frank Cresencia
Title: Registered Nurse
Company: Morristown Medical Center
Town/County: Morristown, Morris County

Catherine Goodheart
Title: Director of Quality Improvement
Company: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
Town/County: Rahway, Union County

Fran Monteleone
Title: Director of Physician Services and Community Outreach
Company: Clara Maass Medical Center
Town/County: Belleville, Essex County

Maryellen Wiggins
Title: Registered Nurse
Company: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey
Town/County: Newark, Essex County

PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR – WINNER

Dr. Martin A. Finkel
Title: Professor of Pediatrics
Company: Care Institute, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Town/County: Stratford, Camden County

Bio: Dr. Martin A. Finkel has cast light on a crime that was once kept in the dark.

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Finkel has been a pioneer in the field of identifying and healing child victims of sexual abuse, while setting standards for diagnosis and treatment that have been adopted by health care professionals and policymakers around the world.

He has no intention of slowing down. “In spite of all the challenges of medicine, the work I do every day is amazingly gratifying,” Finkel says. “There are few professions that can provide the sustained satisfaction that one gets from the practice of medicine.”

His path began more than 25 years ago when he founded the Center for Children’s Support at what was then the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Along the way, he wrote the first scientific papers about diagnosing sexual abuse, led the way in using video colposcopy to assess and document injuries and, in 1998, helped launch New Jersey’s statewide network of regional child abuse diagnostic and treatment centers. He also co-authored the American Academy of Pediatrics’ “Medical Examination of Child Sexual Abuse: A Practical Guide.”

Finkel also has been appointed by six governors to co-chair New Jersey’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. And, as a board member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, he oversaw the development of national standards on the interpretation of medical findings in abuse cases.

In 2004, the Center for Children’s Support changed its name to the CARES Institute after being designated as a statewide resource for best practices in the delivery of medical and mental health diagnostics and treatment services. CARES stands for Child Abuse Research, Education & Service.

In addition to serving as a resource for other health care professionals, the Institute’s child abuse pediatricians, social workers, child psychologists and psychiatrics provide care during more than 20,000 annual patient visits.

PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS

Dr. Peggy Avagliano
Title: Head of Women’s Imaging
Company: Atlantic Medical Imaging
Town/County: Somers Point, Atlantic County

Dr. Joseph Barone
Title: Surgeon-In-Chief
Company: The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

Dr. David V. Condoluci
Title: Chief Medical Officer
Company: Kennedy Health System
Town/County: Voorhees, Camden County

Dr. Meg Fisher
Title: Medical Director
Company: The Unterberg Children’s Hopsital at Monmouth Medical Center
Town/County: Long Branch, Monmouth County

Dr. Alison Grann
Title: Chair, Radiation Oncology
Company: Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Town/County: Livingston, Essex County

Dr. James McKinney
Title: Medical Director
Company: Comprehensive Stroke Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Town/County: New Brunswick, Middlesex County

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – WINNER

Seth Grumet
Title: Founder
Company: Stomp The Monster
Town/County: Marlboro, Monmouth County

Bio: Cancer treatment is an exhausting regimen of tests, appointments and surgical procedures.

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Seth Grumet was buoyed by the presence of family and friends. But he noticed that many of the patients undergoing treatment alongside him did not enjoy the same support system. So, he set out to create one.

In 2010, Grumet founded Stomp The Monster, a nonprofit organization that enhances the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer treatment. The organization provides gift cards for gas and groceries, arranges taxis to and from medical appointments, works to ensure utility bills are paid, and helps with Medigap payments to keep treatment going, among other tasks.

“All those in treatment with me were the true inspiration to form the foundation. The strength and determination shown through the toughest times are the reasons Stomp The Monster is able to continue to grow,” says Grumet, who also credits the time and energy given by volunteers.

Over the last four years, the nonprofit has distributed aid totaling more than $500,000 to more than 1,000 families. In 2013 alone, the group distributed $241,578 to 468 families.

“The most satisfying part of volunteering with Stomp The Monster,” says Grumet, “is actually being present when giving aid to families affected by cancer. There is no way to match that reward.”

The organization’s name comes from Grumet’s daughter, Maddy. When told of her father’s diagnosis, she said, “Dad, your cancer is the monster under the floorboard. You just have to stomp it out.”

“I was blown away,” says Grumet, who has undergone extensive tests, surgeries, chemotherapy and two stemcell transplants.

While he is inspired by other cancer patients, Grumet also has developed a deep appreciation for the medical team that has helped him fight the disease. “Their education and true dedication to helping patients like me is truly not measurable, and is always, always underappreciated,” he says.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS

Rachel Katz
Title: Volunteer
Company: Daughters of Israel
Town/County: West Orange, Essex County

Steven Kaye
Title: President
Company: AEPG Wealth Strategies
Town/County: Warren, Somerset County

Joseph McDonough
Title: Police Detective
Company: Elizabeth Police Department
Town/County: Elizabeth, Union County

Chris Miller
Title: Captain
Company: Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad
Town/County: Clinton, Hunterdon County

Peter Rooney
Title: Chairman
Company: NJ Sharing Network Foundation
Town/County: New Providence, Union County

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS HERO – WINNER

Dr. Dana Holwitt
Title: Breast Surgeon
Company: Saint Clare’s Health System
Town/County: Parsippany, Morris County

Bio: When Dr. Dana Holwitt sits across from a patient with breast cancer, she has no trouble imagining what it’s like to learn you have the disease and go through treatment.

Holwitt sat in the same place. At 36, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. The experience motivated her to become an even stronger advocate for early detection and other measures to fight breast cancer.

At Saint Clare’s Health System, Holwitt offers her patients annual clinical breast examinations, management of benign breast lesions and consultation to women who are at high risk for breast cancer, among other services.

Holwitt also is active in numerous community efforts to promote awareness of breast health and to support survivors. For example, she served as the keynote speaker at the 12th annual Saint Clare’s Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness and has often made a presentation, titled “A Walk in Her Shoes,” to community groups. The talk, which relies on Holwitt’s own experience to comfort the newly diagnosed, earned a Luster for Life Award from the American Cancer Society.

“I have gone through what they are about to,” says Holwitt, who undertook a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at Washington University School of Medicine. “And as much as I am their doctor, I am a fellow survivor, as well.”

Medicine was Holwitt’s first career choice, inspired, in part, by her father, Dr. Kenneth Holwitt, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Saint Clare’s.

“He taught me many important lessons: know when it is time to say, ‘no more,’ treat everyone as you would treat your mother and, perhaps most importantly, to always protect my patients, to advocate for them when they cannot advocate for themselves,” she says.

Indeed, relationships with patients are the most meaningful part of her work today. “I think it is a privilege that they let me in to the most private parts of their lives and hearts,” she says.

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS HERO – FINALISTS

BioReference Laboratories Inc.
Top Executive: Marc Grodman, Chairman, President and CEO
Town/County: Elmwood Park, Bergen County

Capital Health-Center for Women’s Health
Top Executive: Dr. Randi Protter, Medical Director
Town/County: Hamilton, Mercer County

Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Top Executive: Aaron Graff, President and COO
Town/County: Parsippany, Morris County

Dr. Ami Vaidya
Title: Director of Robotics, Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Company: Hackensack University Medical Center
Town/County: Hackensack, Bergen County

WORKPLACE WELLNESS HERO – WINNER

Hackensack University Medical Center
Top Executive: Robert Garrett, President and CEO
Town/County: Hackensack, Bergen County

Bio: In their efforts to exercise and eat right, employees of Hackensack University Medical Center have a powerful ally.

In December, the hospital opened a state-of-the-art fitness center dubbed HackensackUMC Fitness & Wellness: Powered by the Giants. Hackensack is the “Hometown Hospital” for the New York Giants, as well as the New York Red Bulls soccer team.

The facility boasts up-to-date cardio and strength training equipment, three salt-water filtered pools, spacious exercise studios, a Pilates studio, a day spa, complementary child care and a café named Sal’s Good Eats.

Also tucked inside the 112,000-squarefoot facility is a sports performance center featuring athletic workouts, some of which are coordinated with trainers from the Giants.

In addition, employees can find the Debra Simon Center for Integrative Medicine. The center is home to myriad services, including physical therapy, nutritional counseling, behavioral health, pain management, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and diabetes education and management for adults and children.

There’s also a demonstration cooking studio and a corporate health center. A women’s health center, meanwhile, offers mammography and bone density screenings.

The fitness center builds on Hackensack’s long-standing focus on population health management, the effort to keep people healthy rather than waiting for them to get sick.

The health provider offers wellness programs both to its employees and its neighbors. The programs aim to help people lead healthier lifestyles, reduce health risks and lower overall health care costs. Hackensack staff members can earn incentives for setting and meeting health-related goals.

In 2013, the hospital encouraged employees to take three steps as part of its wellness program: complete an online health-risk assessment, designate a primary care provider and participate in on-site biometric screening. Last year, 94 percent of eligible employees underwent screenings.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS HERO – FINALISTS

Barnabas Health
Top Executive: Barry Ostrowsky, President and CEO
Town/County: West Orange, Essex County

County of Somerset
Top Executive: Michael Amorosa, County Administrator
Town/County: Somerville, Somerset County

Kennedy Health System
Top Executive: Joseph Devine, President and CEO
Town/County: Voorhees, Camden County

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Top Executive: John Brennan, President and CEO
Town/County: Newark, Essex County

Shionogi Inc.
Top Executive: Deanne Melloy, Executive Vice President and COO
Town/County: Florham Park, Morris County