Following Dr. Shereef Elnahal’s nomination by President Joe Biden to serve as undersecretary for health in the Veterans Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, University Hospital appointed an interim leader for the state’s only public acute care facility.

On March 21, University Hospital said Mary Maples will serve as interim president and CEO, effective upon Elnahal’s departure. Maples has been chief legal officer and corporate secretary for University Hospital since 2018.

“As the Hospital searches for its next permanent president and CEO, the board of directors wanted to ensure stability for the organization as it continues to build on the operational and quality of care successes in recent years,” Tanya Freeman, chair of the hospital’s board of directors, said in a statement. “We are thankful that Mary will stay on at University Hospital and will work closely with the board in establishing a state-of-the-art, fiscally responsible, world-class acute care institution. As we continue to transform Newark and the region’s anchor health care institution and hospital safety net, the board of directors has the utmost confidence in Mary and our Leadership Team to continue to deliver on our promise to our community.

“We are also grateful and appreciative for the hard work done by Dr. Elnahal to put us on a path for continued success,” she added.

Like Elnahal, who served as commissioner of health for the state of New Jersey before taking the top job at the Newark institution, Maples also has experience working with University Hospital from the perspective of Trenton, having previously served as deputy chief counsel and director of authorities for Gov. Phil Murphy, and as senior counsel for Gov. Chris Christie.

As COVID-19 overtook the state, Maples was selected with Elnahal by Murphy to serve as Regional Collaborators for the response to the virus in the northern part of the state.

“Mary Maples has been an integral part of our Leadership Team for a number of years, serving as both a critical advisor and an expert manager in advancing the organization forward —especially as the Hospital has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic,” Elnahal said. “The future is brighter than ever for University Hospital, and the institution is in great hands with Mary at the helm of our leadership team.”

In addition to continuing to navigate the evolving pandemic, Maples’ appointment comes at a time when University Hospital is gearing up for some major developments. In January, it awarded a contract to Gensler to create a master plan for a new hospital. Then, at the beginning of this month, University Hospital announced $42 million in financing along with a partnership to bring a 78-unit affordable rental complex to the city’s Fairmont neighborhood under the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s Hospital Partnership Subsidy Program.

“University Hospital has steadily pursued an upward trajectory in recent years across operations, patient care, quality, and community trust. I am very excited and deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead this organization as we continue to meet the health care needs of our patients and the community,” said Maples. “The board’s vision for this hospital, fueled by the strength and energy of my colleagues, has set the institution on a path to become a world-class academic health medical center. I am delighted to continue working with the leadership team, and our entire Hospital family, to build on our success and see the institution live more deeply into our mission, vision and values.”