Barry Rabner will retire from his post as chief executive officer at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, effective Jan. 1, 2021.

The Princeton Health Trustees, members of the Princeton Medical Center Foundation board, medical staff President Dr. Grace Bialy, and Penn Medicine leaders are leading the search for a successor.

“The greatest privilege of my career is to serve as the president and CEO of Princeton Health and I could not be more grateful for that opportunity,” Rabner said in a prepared statement. “I am proud to work with such dedicated colleagues, donors, elected officials and people in the community we serve. I am very fortunate to be able to do work that I love with wonderful people.”

During his tenure, which began in 2002, Princeton Health’s acute-care hospital, Princeton Medical Center, received multiple quality recognitions, earned Magnet status – the highest institutional recognition for nursing excellence, and designation as a leader in health care equality for individuals who identify as LGBTQ.

Princeton House Behavioral Health added a number of innovative, specialized programs during Rabner’s tenure including an inpatient service focused on treating first responders who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other behavioral health issues related to the nature of their jobs.

PMH also nearly doubled its outpatient capacity, and the hospital now has practitioners from more than 85 specialties and subspecialties.

Princeton Health’s employed physician practice Princeton Medicine Physicians was established during Rabner’s tenure. It has since grown into a multispecialty group with 200 providers and 25 locations.

“Barry’s extraordinary accomplishments over the past 18 years at Penn Medicine Princeton Health have been marked by his leadership attributes, including his integrity and his deep commitment to patients, medical staff, employees and the community,” said Princeton Health board of trustees Chairman Anthony Kuczinski. “The leadership attributes have guided his vision and his ability to bring about countless positive changes that will impact the organization for decades to come.”

Shortly after joining Princeton Health in 2002, Rabner helped establish Princeton Health Community Wellness, which provides a comprehensive curriculum of health education programs and free or low-cost health screenings, support groups, and CPR training. In 2019, Community Wellness provided more than 2,000 programs for around 50,000 individuals.

Rabner also presided over two significant milestones in Princeton Health’s history: the design and construction of the new hospital and health campus eight years ago, and the decision to join the University of Pennsylvania Health System two years ago.

“Barry Rabner has continuously raised the bar for Princeton Health, in everything from clinical outcomes to patient satisfaction levels to finding new and meaningful ways to engage the community,” said University of Pennsylvania Health System CEO Kevin Mahoney in a prepared statement. “His ability to inspire others to strive for excellence every day has led to a sustained record of success and has helped to make Princeton Health such a highly valued member of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.”

The new hospital was financed in part by a $171 million capital campaign, which according to the health system, was the most successful hospital capital campaign in New Jersey’s history, and the largest for a health system of Princeton’s size in the country. The new hospital, which opened in 2012, has a campus that includes an adult medical daycare, child daycare, a fitness and wellness center, assisted living and memory care, senior independent living, pediatric outpatient care, long-term care, sub-acute care and a large community park.

An ambulatory cancer center is currently under development.