RWJBARNABAS HEALTH NAMES DR. SUSAN C. REINHARD NEW CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

James S. Vaccaro to Serve as Vice-Chair

WEST ORANGE, N.J., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, RWJBarnabas Health announced the appointment of Susan C. Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN as the new Chair of the RWJBarnabas Health Board of Trustees, effective July 1. Dr. Reinhard will be the first woman and the first nurse to hold this position for the health system.

A Founding member of the Board since 2016, Dr. Reinhard has served as Vice Chair since 2022 and has served as Chair of the Quality and Safety Committee and participated on the Compliance and Strategic Planning/Academic Affairs Committees. She also served on the Board of Directors for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital since 2013 and was a member of its Finance, Strategic Planning and Quality Committees.

Dr. Reinhard is a nationally recognized expert in health and long-term care policy, with extensive experience in conducting, directing and translating research into action to promote policy change. Dr. Reinhard is a Visiting Professor for the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators at the University of California, Davis. Prior, Dr. Reinhard was the Senior Vice President and Director of the AARP Public Policy Institute, the focal point for policy research and analysis in health, long-term care, and economics at the federal, state and international levels. She also served as the Chief Strategist for Family Caregiving Initiatives and the Center to Champion Nursing in America, a national resource center created to ensure that America has the highly skilled nurses it needs to provide care in the future. Previously, Dr. Reinhard was Professor and Co-Director of the Rutgers University Center for State Health Policy, where she advanced the formulation of sound and creative state health and long-term policy across the nation. She also served as Deputy Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Health from 1996-1999 and again from 2002-2005. In that role, Dr. Reinhard served three governors from both political parties and was responsible for hospital, nursing home and community-based care licensing, regulation, financing and quality oversight. She earned a PhD from Rutgers University and an MSN from University of Cincinnati.

"We are thrilled to welcome Susan as our new Board Chair," said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer for RWJBarnabas Health. "Her vast experience and expertise have been tremendous assets to our organization and will continue to be instrumental to the growth and advancement of our mission to create and sustain healthier communities across New Jersey."

As evidence of her belief in service, Dr. Reinhard has served on numerous boards including the National Alliance for Caregiving, the National Academy for State Health Policy, the International Journal of Care and Caring, Generations and The Leapfrog Group.

"I am deeply honored to serve as Board Chair for the largest academic health system in New Jersey," said Dr. Reinhard. "I look forward to working with Mark and my fellow trustees in continuing to enhance and transform the health care landscape across New Jersey and beyond."

Dr. Reinhard will succeed Lester J. Owens who has served as Board Chair since 2022.

"When Les became Chair, the health system and the healthcare industry at large were still recovering from the pandemic," said Mr. Manigan. "During his tenure, we have seen improvements in quality and safety scores, patient outcomes and satisfaction, and employee engagement; growth in our ambulatory densification strategy; and historic investments in our community health initiatives. We are grateful for his leadership."

Mr. Owens was also a Founding member of the Board and served as Vice Chair from 2019-2022. He served on the Audit, Compliance, Compensation, Nominating and Governance, as well as other committees. He is also a long-time trustee of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and will continue to serve as a member of the Board.

"There has been no greater honor for me than to have served as Board Chair," said Mr. Owens. "I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished over the past three years and look forward to working with Susan as we continue to advance critical initiatives in support of the health system."

James S. Vaccaro, new Vice-Chair, has served as Chair of the Finance Committee for the Board and also served as Chair of the Board for Monmouth Medical Center. Mr. Vaccaro is Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer of Manasquan Bank, a $3.2-billion-dollar mutual banking organization founded in 1874, operating from fifteen offices and branches located in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Prior, Mr. Vaccaro served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for SpringPoint Senior Living, New Jersey's leading provider of not-for-profit senior housing and healthcare. Mr. Vaccaro is a leader in the banking profession, with more than thirty-five years of experience in the industry. He served as Chair, President and CEO of Central Jersey Bancorp, parent company of Allaire Community Bank and Monmouth Community Bank, which he helped found in 1998. From 1982 to 1995, Mr. Vaccaro was employed by Central Jersey Bank and Trust Company and served in various capacities including Executive Vice President, Treasurer, CFO and member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Vaccaro currently Chairs the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and is one of twelve members, nationally, to serve on the Federal Reserves' National Council, of which he is currently Vice President.

ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH

RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.

RWJBarnabas Health partners with its diverse communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate and equitable manner and is the state's largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable. 

RWJBarnabas Health's commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers, with more than 44,000 employees, contributing more than $5.5 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.

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SOURCE RWJBarnabas Health