Recovery Centers of America at Raritan Bay announced that it hired Phillip Palmer as its director of nursing. In this role, Palmer is responsible for directing, planning and coordinating the activities and education of more than 65 nursing personnel, ensuring regulatory compliance and high-quality clinical care.
A local mental health and critical patient care advocate, Palmer brings more than 12 years of acute care experience working on inpatient psychiatric, detox and telemetry units. He most recently served as director at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (both the Somerset and New Brunswick locations), where he oversaw the nursing operations across an acute adult psychiatric unit and emergency department crisis center. Previously, he worked at RWJBarnabas Health as staff nurse and manager, as a staff nurse at both Princeton House Behavioral Health and at Raritan Bay Medical Center, and as an acute nurse at Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare, caring for patients needing emergency mental health treatment.
“Phil’s wealth of experience in the behavioral health field at top-tier health care facilities in New Jersey makes him the ideal person to lead our dedicated nursing team,” David Dorschu, CEO, RCA at Raritan Bay, stated. “His commitment to superior standards of excellence aligns with our mission to provide our patients with the best possible care on their journey to recovery.”
With the worsening of the opioid crisis and the increase in alcohol use disorder as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and staff are the lifeblood of treatment facilities across the country.
“I am grateful to be part of the culture here at RCA at Raritan Bay, where the top substance use disorder professionals come to deliver compassionate care to their patients,” Palmer said. “I entered nursing to help people and I am very grateful for this new opportunity, empowering nurses to deliver mental health and medical services that save people’s lives.”
