RWJBarnabas Health said Dec. 17 that Aaron F. Hajart has been named president and chief executive officer for Community Medical Center in Toms River, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Hajart, the chief operating officer of the 592-bed teaching hospital that serves northern Ocean County, succeeds Patrick Ahearn following his more than 25 years of service to New Jersey’s largest academic health system.
“Aaron is a respected leader with a deep understanding of hospital operations, care delivery, and our commitment to the patients we serve,” said Bill Arnold, executive vice president and president, Southern Region, RWJBarnabas Health, CEO Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “His proven ability to work collaboratively with physicians, nurses, and care teams to strengthen performance and keep patients at the center of every decision will help CMC continue to transform healthcare in Ocean County.”
Community Medical Center was recently recognized as a High-Performing Hospital in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, and also received an “A” grade in The Leapfrog Group Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades.
Hajart joined RWJBarnabas Health in 2022 as the Southern Region senior vice president for service line and practice integration, before assuming his current role in 2023. As COO, he has led efforts to improve hospital communications, reduce readmission rates, grow key service lines including gastroenterology, oncology, and maternal care, and advance physician recruitment and retention initiatives. There will be a search conducted to fill the COO position at CMC.
Before joining RWJBarnabas Health, Hajart served as chief operating officer of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus.
“I am honored to lead Community Medical Center and to work alongside our dedicated physicians, nurses, and staff,” Mr. Hajart said. “Together, we will continue to strengthen access to care, enhance the patient experience, and serve our community with excellence.”
