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RWJBarnabas Health appointed Jonathan Kyriacou as president and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center, effective Jan. 26. 

Kyriacou succeeds Michael Priltusky, an RWJBarnabas representative confirmed with NJBIZ Jan. 6. Priltusky remains with the West Orange-based network as executive vice president and CEO for the RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. 

In his new position, Kyriacou will oversee the medica center’s strategic direction, operational leadership and financial performance. 

Kyriacou joins RWJBarnabas Health from The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he most recently served as chief operating officer of the 1,134-bed flagship academic medical center. 

While at Mount Sinai, Kyriacou: 

• Managed several operational and fiscal initiatives, including a $4 billion operating budget 
• Led a team of more than 15,000 employees 
• Oversaw a $750 million master capital plan 
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, spearheaded the rapid expansion of temporary capacity to 1,600 beds and established large-scale testing and vaccination centers 
• Supported the establishment of the Institute for Critical Care Medicine across the Mount Sinai Health System 

“Jonathan’s track record in operational excellence, strategic planning, and high-quality patient care aligns perfectly with the mission, vision, values, and goals of RWJBarnabas Health and Jersey City Medical Center,” Thomas Biga, executive vice president and president, Northwest Region, RWJBarnabas Health, said in a statement. “His leadership will be instrumental in our efforts to grow and enhance our services in Hudson County.”

Executive moves

Jersey City Medical Center is a comprehensive full-service, acute-care 352-bed teaching hospital, with over 17,000 admissions and 100,000 emergency department visits annually. It is also the only full-service heart hospital in Hudson County, according to RWJBarnabas Health.

Kyriacou earned a Master of Public Health in health policy and management from New York Medical College and a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Stony Brook University, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also holds certificates from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Michigan, according to RWJBarnabas Health. 

Kyriacou’s hiring follows RWJBarnabas Health’s two other recent executive additions: 

• Dr. Abraham Houng, chief academic officer at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center 
• Aaron Harjart, president and CEO of Community Medical Center