Commerce_21_12 | Page 26

■ Cover Story

■ Cover Story

Continued From Page 22 RWJBarnabas Health Barry Ostrowsky , President and CEO
I expect greater investment in underserved communities especially Black and Brown communities which were hard hit by the pandemic . Through Ending Racism Together , RWJBarnabas Health ’ s antiracism effort , we continue to focus on creating racial , ethnic and cultural equity for disenfranchised populations , and our nationally recognized corporate Diversity Equity and Inclusion program is active in all of our facilities .
St . Joseph ’ s Health Kevin J . Slavin , President and CEO
Workface shortages are taking a dramatic toll on every business sector . As we move into another year , we will all continue to experience the workforce challenges first-hand , as post-pandemic recovery gains traction and we turn the corner to a new future state . What ' s increasingly clear is that after the coronavirus pandemic delivered an unprecedented shock to the global economy , putting tens of millions of people out of work and displacing many others , the job market will never be the same . The lessons from the global pandemic are many , but none are as gripping as [ the realization that ] we aren ’ t going back to “ normal .” We now must turn our energy and focus to leading the recovery from COVID‐19 by building organizations that can thrive in the face of continuous turbulence . The businesses that most aggressively adapt and extend new ways of operating will turn this changing environment into their advantage .
Trinitas Regional Medical Center Gary S . Horan , FACHE , President and CEO
Saint Peter ’ s Healthcare System Leslie D . Hirsch , President and CEO
With an optimistic view that the worst of COVID‐19 is behind us , we remain committed to assuring our community that Saint Peter ’ s continues to be prepared to safely provide care that may have been delayed by the pandemic . As more patients return for care , hospitals need the support of elected officials to find solutions to prevent and fill critical gaps resulting from a labor shortage brought about by the pandemic .
Consolidation of independent hospitals will help imporove access to resources and services .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / gehringj
Trinitas will join RWJBarnabas Health in early 2022 for reasons that reflect the dynamic environment affecting hospitals in our state . I believe that we will see further consolidation among the remaining independent hospitals in 2022 as they come to realize the many benefits of joining a larger system . Stand-alone hospitals may not have the resources needed to continue providing a high level of care in today ’ s changing and challenging environment , and they may lack access to the highly specialized physicians and world-class research that a system can provide .
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