Jefferson Health – East will have a new president next month. Effective Oct. 16, Aaron Chang will accept the role, where he will be tasked with overseeing daily operations of Jefferson’s three New Jersey acute care hospitals, in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township.
Brian Sweeney, who is also president of what Jefferson calls its north region, has been serving as the interim president.
Chang brings vast experience in the academic, nonprofit and private sectors, with a passion for improving community health.
Chang comes to Jefferson from Catholic Health in New York, where he was president of Sisters of Charity Hospitals and Central Market leader. In that role, he had oversight of two acute care hospitals and led care continuum initiatives across a portfolio of post-acute facilities, physician enterprise clinics and ambulatory sites.
During his tenure with Catholic Health, Chang led his team in quality work that earned them Leapfrog “A” status, opened new programs such as the Clearview Inpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Center to combat the opioid epidemic, and was recognized for emergency preparedness efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also established the facility’s first Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee.
The community also will benefit from Chang’s prior operational leadership expertise in cardiac catheterization labs, as Jefferson recently received New Jersey state certification to offer a specialized treatment, percutaneous coronary intervention, at its Washington Township hospital for so-called STEMI patients presenting with a type of heart attack blocking a coronary artery.
“Aaron is a talented leader whose expertise will help guide the delivery of Jefferson Health’s world-class health care in New Jersey,” Jefferson Health President Dr. Baligh Yehia said. “We look forward to working together to expand access to care and strengthen our commitment to the South Jersey community.”
“It is an honor to join a storied organization like Jefferson Health. I am excited to work with an incredible group of professionals, medical staff and community leaders to build on a legacy of quality care and advance the mission of improving lives,” Chang said.
