Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center on Sept. 12 said it appointed Dr. Alfin G. Vicencio, a pediatric leader and clinical innovator from Mount Sinai Health System, as the chair of the Department of Pediatrics.
Vicencio joins the hospital after more than a decade of leadership at the Icahn School of Medicine and Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai in New York City, where he served as vice chair of clinical affairs and strategy and system chief of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology.
Vicencio will oversee all clinical, academic, and operational functions of the Department of Pediatrics at the children’s hospital, one of the two Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health nationally ranked institutions. He will be responsible for advancing the hospital’s mission of clinical excellence, fostering innovative research, and expanding its comprehensive pediatric programs.
Sanzari and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center have consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the country in pediatric care in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Children’s Hospitals Rankings.
“Dr. Vicencio is a visionary leader with an extraordinary track record of building world-class clinical programs and pioneering new standards of care for children,” said Dr. Lisa K. Tank, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center. “His expertise in developing subspecialty services and his commitment to academic medicine will be invaluable as we continue to elevate the care we provide to children and families across New Jersey and beyond.”
At Mount Sinai, Vicencio was credited with rebuilding the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology. He is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric interventional bronchoscopy, having developed one of the nation’s few programs dedicated to using advanced, minimally invasive techniques like cryotherapy and navigational bronchoscopy to treat complex airway diseases in children. Vicencio also established a program for treating severe asthma with monoclonal antibodies, turning it into a regional referral center.
Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center “has a powerful commitment to patient-centered care and a strong foundation of excellence,” said Vicencio. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the outstanding faculty and staff to build upon that legacy, enhance our subspecialty services, and continue to make this a destination where every child receives the most advanced and compassionate care possible.”
Vicencio is a global leader in his field. In 2024, he co-founded the Pediatric Chapter of the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and co-chairs national and international courses to train physicians in advanced bronchoscopic techniques.
