Denise Shepherd, who has worked for RWJBarnabas Health for more than three decades, on Monday was named chief nursing officer, the hospital announced.
Shepherd joined Saint Barnabas Medical Center in 1984 as a cardiac step-down nurse and quickly moved into nursing leadership, holding several administrative positions including nurse manager, director of nursing finance, director of nursing administration, and Nurse Executive/VP of Patient Care Services (chief nursing officer) at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.
Shepherd joined Newark Beth Israel in 2015 as director of quality was named chief quality officer in 2019.
Newark Beth CEO Darrell Terry said he was thrilled to announce the promotion.
“Ms. Shepherd is a relentless advocate for patient safety and quality,” he said. “Under her leadership, we developed an award-winning safety culture at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.
“I am confident that her nursing background coupled with her quality and safety expertise will propel her to even greater success in her new role.”
Shepherd succeeds Amy Doran, who was elevated to chief operating officer. Shepherd said she is looking forward to the new role.
“Nurses are the backbone of any hospital, and I have had the privilege of working with an incredible nursing team at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center,” she said. “I look forward to continued success, with a team of approximately 1,000 nurses, as we expand our delivery of evidence-based care and create more professional development and engagement opportunities for our nursing professionals.”
Shepherd received her BSN from Vanderbilt University and her master’s degree from New York University.
