Murphy names successor for Persichilli at NJDOH

Gov. Phil Murphy intends to nominate Dr. Kaitlan Baston as the Garden State’s next health commissioner.

The July 25 announcement follows last week’s news that Judith Persichilli would step down from the post, which she has served in for four years. Baston will assume the role in August when Persichilli officially retires.

“Working alongside Gov. Murphy, whose values mirrored mine in a state I call home, and alongside the dedicated career experts in public health at the department has been a privilege these past four years,” said Persichilli. “These past few years have also taught us many lessons, perhaps most importantly to pivot and change as we move forward.

“The department is more prepared now than ever to face tomorrow’s challenges with a foundation built on resiliency, data-driven decision-making, and equity for New Jersey’s residents,” Persichilli continued. “Dr. Baston is eminently qualified to carry on the department’s critical work in tackling New Jersey’s public health crises and fulfilling its mission.”

Baston is currently the division head of addiction medicine and medical director of the Center for Healing at Cooper University — a center she founded that provides a slew of services related to integrated pain, addiction and behavioral health care. She is also an educator and consultant for Zero to Three, an organization focused on ensuring all babies and toddlers have a strong start to life, and an assistant professor of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

The incoming health commissioner serves on a number of committees and boards and has received many awards for her work. Last year, she was recognized with an NJBIZ Health Care Hero – Innovation award.

ICYMI

Today’s news follows the recent announcement that Commissioner of Health Judith Persichilli will retire in August. Click here to read the story.

In a press release, Murphy said he is thrilled to nominate Baston to lead the state health department.

“The department plays a vital role in protecting the public’s health, while also promoting healthy communities and constantly improving the quality of health care for all New Jerseyans,” said Murphy. “Dr. Baston’s breadth of experience as a physician, highlighted by her many leadership roles within the addictions and health care space, will make her an exceptional Commissioner at the Department of Health.”

“I am deeply grateful to Gov. Murphy for entrusting me with this opportunity to serve the people of New Jersey,” said Baston. “I have spent my career focused on addiction services, maternal and child health, and improving equity through health care in the community, and I am fully committed to using those experiences to create a healthy, equitable state for all.

“It is an honor to lead the department following the incredible work and dedication of Commissioner Persichilli during an unprecedented time in public health and I look forward to working with the team to advance the health and equity of all New Jerseyans,” she added.

Health Commissioner Persichilli set to retire next month (updated)

The woman who needed no introduction as she helped lead the Garden State’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is retiring next month from her post as New Jersey’s top public health official.

Commissioner of Health Judith Persichilli will depart from the position she took on in 2019, then in an interim capacity, replacing Dr. Shereef Elnahal who became president and CEO of University Hospital. The news was first reported by NJ.com.

Persichilli was confirmed by the full Senate for the job in January 2020. Not long after, she found herself at the center of the pandemic fight and became notorious for sitting beside Gov. Phil Murphy during the his daily press conferences throughout the throes of COVID-19, providing updates, guidance and advice.

After announcing his intent to do so in 2021, Murphy dedicated the New Jersey Department of Health Building in honor of her service to the people of New Jersey – particularly during the pandemic – unveiling its new name last September: the Judith M. Persichilli Building.

“Commissioner Persichilli has been an invaluable advisor and partner over the past several years, helping our state navigate the many challenges of an unprecedented pandemic,” said Murphy at the time. “Her composure and dependability as she led the Department of Health and kept residents informed alongside me during countless COVID briefings has made the name ‘Judy Persichilli’ ubiquitous throughout our state. This building will serve as a reminder of the illustrious career of ‘the woman who needs no introduction,’ both as a leader in the health care sector and as New Jersey’s distinguished Commissioner of Health.”

New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli — “To say I am overwhelmed and humbled by this honor is an understatement,” Persichilli said during a ceremony dedicating the Department of Health State Office Building as the Judith M. Persichilli Building on Sept. 28, 2022. – EDWIN J. TORRES/NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

“To say I am overwhelmed and humbled by this honor is an understatement,” Persichilli said last year. “This building will reflect the hard work and commitment of all who have worked throughout the pandemic and our commitment to public health.”

Prior to leading the department, Persichilli served as the acting chief executive officer of University Hospital in Newark. Before that, she was president emerita of CHE Trinity Health, the health ministry formed in May 2013 by the consolidation of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health of Livonia, Mich. She previously served as interim president and CEO of CHE Trinity Health. Prior to that appointment, Persichilli was president and CEO of Catholic Health East.

While the Murphy Administration did not release an official announcement of commissioner’s upcoming retirement, the governor did tweet in response to the initial report, confirming the news.

“Judy’s unwavering dedication to public service during one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history will be remembered with sincere appreciation & gratitude,” Murphy tweeted. “Grateful for her tireless efforts to advance the health & well-being of New Jerseyans.”

“Congrats to Commissioner Persichilli on her well-deserved retirement! Judy’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond leaves a legacy that will continue to improve the health and safety of our residents,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin tweeted. “It’s been an honor to serve with her and I wish her all the best.”

Update

Gov. Phil Murphy announced July 25 that he intends to nominate Dr. Kaitlan Baston as New Jersey’s next health commissioner. Click here to read the story.

Not surprisingly, the congratulations, acknowledgements, and well-wishes have been flying in from around the state as the news has spread.

“Judy was the steady hand and calm voice we needed during the worst public health crisis of our lifetimes. She faced the pandemic head-on and provided guidance and support to our industry as we worked to care for a frightened and ailing population,” said Cathy Bennett, president and CEO, New Jersey Hospital Association, in a statement. “Judy’s leadership went far beyond COVID-19. She prioritized maternal health, mental health, and the opioid epidemic – crises that have touched so many of us and our families. The membership of the New Jersey Hospital Association and I wish Judy all the best and thank her for her tireless service to the state.”

“Judy is a dear friend and a trusted colleague who has been a true servant leader during her long career in healthcare,” said Deborah Visconi, president and CEO, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, in a statement. “She led the Department of Health during one of the most challenging times the healthcare community has ever faced with true dedication to the health and wellness of every resident in the State of New Jersey. I am grateful for all she has done for healthcare in this state, and I will miss working with her and wish her the best in her retirement.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:38 a.m. July 26, 2023, to include information about Persichilli’s potential successor.

NJ Department of Health names new deputy commissioner

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced June 26 that Dr. Sejal Hathi is joining as deputy commissioner for Public Health Services, effective July 3.

Hathi, a former White House senior policy advisor, will oversee the Divisions of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health; Family Health Services; HIV, STD and TB Services; Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratories and Emergency Preparedness; and the Offices of Local Public Health, Opioid Response and Policy, and Women’s Health. She replaces Dr. Meg Fisher, who has been serving as acting deputy commissioner since September 2022 and will resume her role as special advisor to the Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli — Persichilli

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Hathi to the New Jersey Department of Health,” Persichilli said in a press release. “Her experience will help guide our state as we continue to work to protect and improve public health on behalf of New Jersey residents. Her dedication and commitment to improving public health, maternal and child health, and health equity will help lead state policy for years ahead. We thank Dr. Fisher for stepping up and doing a tremendous job in filling the role of Acting Deputy Commissioner these past months.”

In her role as the White House’s senior policy advisor for public health, Hathi led public health preparedness and response, medical supply chain and climate health policy for the Domestic Policy Council.

She is also a board-certified internal medicine physician who previously served as an assistant professor and joint faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Hathi’s experience includes founding and leading two global social enterprises to advocate for women and girls, working over 10 years to support and mobilize more than 30,000 young women across six continents. In 2013, she was one of nine public health leaders appointed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s expert advisory group on women’s and children’s health.

More recently, she served as the host and co-producer of Civic Rx, a podcast on health equity and social justice, as well as serving on numerous national boards related to public service and public health and maintains a role as a founding board member of Indiaspora.

“I am deeply honored to join a department and an administration so fiercely dedicated to strengthening New Jersey’s public health infrastructure and to ensuring equitable access to the services and opportunities that will make New Jersey stronger, fairer, and healthier for all,” said Hathi in a press release. “I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead as we rebuild in the wake of a once-in-a-century pandemic and accelerate progress on core public health priorities.”

NJ Department of Health receives $80M public health grant from CDC

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced Jan 26 it has been awarded a $80.5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The funding, which the NJDOH will receive over the next five years, is intended to support public health workforce development and training, building foundational capabilities, and data modernization.

It comes via the American Rescue Plan Act’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program that is intended to help ensure that every community has the people, services and systems needed to promote and protect health.

“This is the beginning of a very exciting new chapter for the New Jersey Department of Health and public health in the Garden State,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “We have a great opportunity to build a more resilient health department with a robust, well-trained workforce, a modernized infrastructure, and a stronger system for a healthier New Jersey. Everyone stands to benefit.”

According to the NJDOH, the funds will be used to continue its transformation and modernization of New Jersey’s public health system by supporting its work to:

Facilitate recruitment, advancement and retention within the public health workforce through workforce planning and professional development
Manage performance across programmatic activities and grants oversight
Expand the NJDOH Centralized Data and Analytics Hub that provides data-driven insights to inform action across the department’s partners
Advance health equity in policy, programs and practice through the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health
Enhance the Office of Women’s Health to support women’s health across their lifespan, which includes a focus on reproductive health
Invest across the agency in understanding health disparities, addressing social determinants of health and facilitating connections to care
Continue to grow regionalized support for local health partners in building workforce capacity and infrastructure

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light significant challenges facing our public health system that we must continue to address on behalf of residents,” said Persichilli. “As we emerge from the pandemic and look through the lens of opportunity, we will build on the progress made and continue to embed the innovative, data-driven approaches that we used during the health emergency to forge the future of New Jersey’s public health.”

The latest in health care

State announces funding to upgrade reproductive health care facilities

The Murphy Administration announced funding Jan. 4 for reproductive health care providers to support facility and security upgrades.

The more than $15 million comes via two programs.

The first, a partnership between the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (HCFFA), offers zero-percent interest, forgivable loans to family planning providers making facility upgrades to accommodate more patients.

First-round recipients of the family planning providers program include:

Planned Parenthood of Northern Central and Southern New Jersey (PPNCSNJ) – with awards to eight facilities
Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey – with awards to five facilities and two health centers
Zufall Health Center
Alliance Community Healthcare
FamCare – with awards to four facilities
Family Planning Center of Ocean County
Hoboken Family Planning
Rutgers University – Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine

In the initial round of that program, more than $6 million was approved for 15 applicants. A second round remains open until 4 p.m. on Jan. 6.

There is just under $4 million available in that pool of funding, with a maximum award of $750,000.

Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said this program is an important step to helping ensure access to these services throughout the state.

“These loans will support the improvement of facilities with equipment upgrades, increased staffing, and expanded IT services to enhance reproductive health care,” said Persichilli.

“These facilities provide much needed services and have already reported a substantial increase in demand over the last six months,” said New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority Executive Director Mark Hopkins.

That program runs through June 30, 2023.

The Reproductive Health Security Grant Program

Additionally, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) opened the application period for the new $5 million Reproductive Health Security Grant Program, which will award up to $100,000 to eligible, licensed facilities that can demonstrate a high security risk.

The program is primarily geared toward facilities that may be targeted by violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment and more.

Funding for the initiative, modeled after the state’s existing nonprofit security grant program, can be used for: hiring security personnel; purchase and installation of target-hardening equipment; security and emergency preparedness training; emergency planning activities; and procurement of cybersecurity assets.

Applications are being accepted through Feb. 28.

“This grant program will help to safeguard patients and their medical providers. Our Grants Management Bureau will assess threats, vulnerabilities and consequences to determine which providers demonstrate the greatest and lowest risk for an attack,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran.

In a press release, the governor’s office notes that these programs build on several recent efforts to expand and protect reproductive health care in the Garden State in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“We must and will continue to take a comprehensive approach to making reproductive health care safe and accessible to all who need it in our state,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement. “This is a matter of defending a fundamental right that remains under attack throughout our country. New Jersey will continue to serve as a safe haven for both providers and patients as we take additional steps to ensure protected, equitable access to this critical care.”

Hudson Regional fined $63K over gun cache discovered in unlocked closet

The New Jersey State Department of Health (NJDOH) fined Hudson Regional Hospital $63,000 after dozens of guns were found in an unlocked closet used by the Secaucus-based hospital’s former marketing director over the summer.

In a Nov. 30 letter to the institution, state health officials said Hudson Regional did not maintain plans and procedures to keep a safe environment in addition to failing to report the incident to the department on time, which according to NJDOH is “no later than three hours after the event.”

The cache of weapons was found while police were investigating a July 18 bomb threat that was later determined to be a hoax.

During a safety sweep, officers recovered 11 handguns and 27 rifles along with a .45 caliber semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine. Additionally, a 14-round high-capacity handgun magazine was also seized, according to Secaucus police.

Hudson Regional Hospital is located in Secaucus. – HUDSON REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Following the incident, Elmwood Park resident Reuven Alonalayoff, 46, was arrested and charged with possession of an assault firearm and two counts of possession of a high-capacity magazine, authorities said.

According to state health officials, Alonalayoff, Hudson Regional’s marketing director at the time, “personally brought the firearms onto the premises” months before they were discovered and hospital security did not check the packages because they were “familiar” with the employee.

Additionally, after a member of the hospital’s staff became aware of the presence of the firearms, she did not report it because she believed it was not “any of her business,” the state’s letter said.

Hudson Regional was given 30 days from the notice to either pay the fines or request a formal hearing to challenge the penalties.

In a statement to NJBIZ, hospital spokesperson Ron Simoncini said, “Hudson Regional Hospital designed a corrective action plan in response to a notice from the Department of Health concerning an incident where firearms were discovered in the hospital. The DOH accepted our plan, which was implemented and is in force, preventing any such incidents from occurring in the future. The DOH noticed us of its penalties for the infraction, which we are remitting in due course.”

NJDOH announces $116M in public health investments

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced $116.5 million in grants Nov. 16, which officials say will help strengthen public health infrastructure across the Garden State.

The first award, the Enhancing Local Public Health Infrastructure Partner Organization Grant, provides $75 million to the New Jersey Association of City and County Health Officials (NJACCHO) to administer grants to eligible county, municipal and regional local health departments (LHD’s).

The program aims to support the development or expansion of long-term health infrastructure improvements with a focus on health equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

“There is great need to make improvements to our physical and technological infrastructure as well as our public health workforce,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “The past two-plus years have shown us the need for and value of a strong public health system in addressing emerging health threats and health equity. This money will bring county and local health departments the resources needed to support their efforts.”

By the numbers

$75 million: Enhancing Local Public Health Infrastructure Partner Organization Grant
$41.5 million: County Health Infrastructure Grant Program

The County Health Infrastructure Grant Program, meanwhile, provides $41.5 million in direct support to the state’s 21 county health departments. The funding helps efforts to address and respond to public health emergencies, such as COVID-19 and monkeypox; emerging local needs; and other key public health priorities. It can be used to invest in physical or technological infrastructure, or to bolster workforces to prepare for future surge responses against public health threats.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve the health of our neighbors, family and friends here in Union County and this funding is an important tool to keep us moving forward with any assistance or programs we may need,” said Union County Manager Ed Oatman.

“As New Jersey’s most diverse county, equity and inclusion remain a major focus for healthcare development planners here and we appreciate that this funding reflects that concern,” said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. “As we all learned in 2020, planning is key to effective public health response.”

Gov. Phil Murphy echoed those sentiments regarding COVID-19.

“The pandemic highlighted more than ever before just how critical it is for government to invest in public health,” said Murphy. “A robust network of county and local health departments can make all the difference in helping states identify, address, and respond to public health issues. This investment will strengthen our public health infrastructure by making us more resilient and prepared to meet challenges facing New Jersey both today and in the future.”

Department of Health building dedicated to Persichilli

Gov. Phil Murphy dedicates the New Jersey Department of Health State Office Building as the Judith M. Persichilli Building. — Gov. Phil Murphy dedicates the New Jersey Department of Health State Office Building as the Judith M. Persichilli Building with Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-33rd District, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Mayor Reed Gusciora and Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Sept. 28. – EDWIN J. TORRES/NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

A group of state officials, public employees and health care professionals gathered Sept. 28 in Trenton to dedicate the New Jersey Department of Health’s office building as the “Judith M. Persichilli Building.”

The unveiling follows an announcement by Gov. Phil Murphy last June that the building would be named for the commissioner of the state’s Department of Health to honor her service to New Jersey — especially during the pandemic.

“This building will serve as a reminder of the illustrious career of the ‘woman who needs no introduction,’ both as a leader in the health care sector and as New Jersey’s distinguished commissioner of health,” he said Wednesday.

Persichilli has served as commissioner of health since 2019, initially in an acting role before being confirmed in early 2020 — just before the state’s first confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“To say I am overwhelmed and humbled by this honor is an understatement,” said Persichilli. “This building will reflect the hard work and commitment of all who have worked throughout the pandemic and our commitment to public health.”

As Murphy referenced, Persichilli was a mainstay of the governor’s daily briefings, which were a staple of the worst of the pandemic-era. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District, said because of her work on the frontlines of the state’s COVID response, it was no surprise she became a household name.

“Working to keep New Jerseyans informed, but above all safe and healthy, today’s official renaming ceremony is a fitting honor to memorialize her incredibly diligent and dedicated leadership of the NJDOH,” said Coughlin.

The other individual who typically shared the stage with Murphy and Persichilli during those COVID briefings was Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick Callahan, who was effusive in his praise of the commissioner.

“I consider it a great honor and privilege to have stood alongside Gov. Murphy and Commissioner Persichilli for two years while updating the residents of New Jersey on the state’s progress as we battled against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “Commissioner Persichilli is the epitome of poise and professionalism, and I can think of no one more deserving to receive such a distinction.”

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Tag: New Jersey Department of Health