No. 1: Robert Garrett

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Garrett leads Hackensack Meridian Health – a network with 17 hospitals, 500 patient care locations, 36,000 team members and 7,000 physicians. Under his leadership, HMH has made important strides in reducing the equity gap in health care outcomes and the provision of services. The system’s efforts include operating a digital platform called Unite Us that can provide screening for every individual who comes into contact with HMH. Nearly 600,000 people have been screened since the platform’s inception 18 months ago, Garrett said, and HMH has made about 1.7 million referrals to a variety of agencies, municipalities or other health care organizations. “That focus alone really helps to close the gaps in health care outcomes,” he told NJBIZ.

The system also focuses on maternal and child health, and that work recently earned a Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care by demonstrating exceptional standards and outcomes in the care of infants and mothers. “We have some great data showing that our work is actually succeeding and we were happy that the Joint Commission recognized that work,” Garrett said.

He cited C-sections, which have fallen by 40% at HMH facilities. Last year, HMH recorded zero maternal deaths across the network. And Garrett added that some forthcoming data will show that the system experiences one of the lowest rates of complications in the country. “This data is actually showing that we completely closed the gaps in outcomes between races, meaning people of color and the white population.” The report will be available within the next several weeks. “Once that’s out, that’s going to be groundbreaking research that shows our efforts focusing on health equity, on closing these gaps, are really starting to pay dividends.

In addition, the initial, significant gap in COVID-19 vaccination rates between people of color and the white population completely closed in the later stages of the pandemic. “We made a lot of efforts to work with community leaders, with civic and religious leaders in some of the underserved communities that we serve and it made a difference.”