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When Brian Gragnolati announced that he would step down as CEO of Atlantic Health last year, he left large shoes to fill. Atlantic Health boasts some of the most highly regarded health care facilities in the state. And Gragnolati had carved out a national role for himself as chair of the American Hospital Association.

Starting last summer, Saad Ehtisham took over the top job at the health system, and he signaled that he understood the challenge.

“I am honored and deeply grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead a renowned health system that is setting standards for health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area,” Ehtisham said at the time. “I would also like to recognize and thank Brian Gragnolati for his leadership in advancing patient-centered care at Atlantic Health System and for his exemplary service to the health care industry.”

Ehtisham came to New Jersey after serving as senior vice president and president of acute care operations for Novant Health, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based integrated care delivery network with a $10 billion portfolio treating 7 million patients annually. He also held executive roles at Health Management Associates Inc. in Tennessee, including as CEO for its University Medical Center and at Via Christi Wichita Hospitals & Clinics in Kansas.

In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Ehtisham talks about what drew him to New Jersey, the biggest challenges he sees in leading Atlantic Health and the outlook for the industry as a whole.

Watch the interview below:

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