Anthony Cava will be retiring from his position as CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, effective Jan. 2, the hospital announced Monday afternoon.
Patrick Delaney, the hospital’s chief operating officer, will succeed Cava as the hospital’s top executive.
Cava, a registered pharmacist with more than 35 years of experience in health care administration, joined RWJUH Somerset in January 2015 and led the hospital through the merger of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System and Barnabas Health 14 months later.
During his tenure, he oversaw renovations that modernized nearly every part of the hospital campus, including a three-year cardiology renovation and expansion project, which included renovations to the hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab, 60-bed Cardiology Pavilion and newly renovated space for Cardiac Diagnostic Testing Services; a new Same Day Surgery Center; a new Rehabilitation Services Department and renovations to the Maternity Pavilion, Radiology Department and Behavioral Health Unit.
Renovations are currently under way on the hospital’s Eating Disorders Unit. RWJUH Somerset became the first in New Jersey to offer primary care services to the LGBTQ+ community when it opened its Babs Siperstein PROUD Center in 2017.
Bill Arnold, executive vice president of the Southern Region of RWJBarnabas Health, said Cava has had great impact at the hospital.
“Tony Cava guided RWJUH Somerset through a transformative time in the hospital’s 123-year history, driving significant growth and expansion of the hospital’s services to meet the community’s needs,” Arnold said. “We are grateful for his vision and leadership, particularly during the unprecedented challenges we faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Putting patient safety at the forefront, under Cava’s leadership, the hospital achieved seven consecutive “A” patient safety score ratings from the Leapfrog Group and earned Healthgrades’ 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award, ranking in the Top 5% in the nation for patient safety. In 2021, the hospital received its third consecutive designation as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
