Edward Condit, CEO and president at St. Mary’s General Hospital, was recently installed as chair of the board of the New Jersey Hospital Association. He succeeds 2022 Chair Lori Herndon, CEO and president of AtlantiCare.
Condit, a Denville resident who has served on the NJHA board since 2016, assumes the role at a time when the health care community is facing the sustained impact of COVID on reduced volume, rising costs and workforce shortages.
“It’s ironic that this historic event that demanded our highest level of service has now fully revealed our health system’s greatest vulnerabilities,” Condit said. “As providers move forward from the pandemic, NJHA and its collective members, comprised of acute care hospitals, behavioral health and rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes, home health and other providers, will continue to focus on its mission to improve the health of New Jerseyans. That includes supporting and rebuilding the health care workforce; caring for the most vulnerable; creating opportunities through jobs and economic activity; advancing health equity; and addressing social determinants of health to create healthier communities.”
In her outgoing remarks, Herndon recounted the many contributions of NJHA members, including 150,000 COVID patients treated and discharged home; a rapid mobilization to meet a fall surge in pediatric respiratory illness; and elevating the dialogue on workforce shortages, including the need to create resilience for today’s workers while building the pipeline of tomorrow’s health professionals.
NJHA CEO and President Cathy Bennett outlined the association’s 2023 priorities: creating financial sustainability for providers; supporting and growing the health care workforce; showcasing health care’s value across the state; and advancing thought leadership.
“The severity of COVID-19 may be lessening, but its consequences are accelerating. From workforce shortages to increased costs of caring, inadequate reimbursements and sicker patients, the pressures are greater than ever. That’s why we’re working harder than ever to deliver the resources and support you need, and to remind our public officials of the invaluable role you play as the anchors in the communities you serve,” Bennett said.
Under Condit as board chair, the full slate of NJHA board officers includes:
- Vice Chair Bill Arnold, CEO and president, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and president, Southern Region, RWJBarnabas Health;
- Treasurer Mark Stauder, chief operating officer at Hackensack Meridian Health; and
- Secretary Deborah Visconi, CEO and president, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.
The following health care leaders also were appointed as new board members: Eric Carney, CEO and president of Monmouth Medical Center, RWJBarnabas Health; Vincent Dicks, chair, board of trustees of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System; Brian Finestein, CEO of Saint Clare’s Hospital Denville; Mary K.E. Maples, interim CEO and president of University Hospital in Newark; Dr. John Matsinger, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Virtua Health; and Thomas Scott, CEO and president of CentraState Healthcare System.
