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N.J. Executives Talk About How Their Organizations are Responding to the COVID-19 Vaccine Drive

The Edge for June 2021

An Exclusive Article for NJ ChamberEdge

Some New Jersey companies are encouraging their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. We asked N.J. Chamber members to talk about what their organizations are doing. Here is what they said:

 

Bishop David EvansLeadership Was Vaccinated First to Encourage Others

The core leadership of our ministry was vaccinated first to encourage the 27,000 members, as well as the surrounding community. This was followed by aggressive invitations through social media, public service announcements and radio coverage to be tested and vaccinated at our site. Thousands responded. As we prepare for the future, we continue to maintain precautions even though restrictive suggestions by the government have been modified.

– Bishop David G. Evans, Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church

 

Tom BrackenWe Are Providing Employees the Time They Need to Get Vaccinated

The business community must work to instill confidence in workers and customers that it is safe to once again visit stores, offices, restaurants and other places of commerce. It is incumbent on businesses to do their part by reminding employees what the medical data clearly show — that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. At the New Jersey Chamber, we are encouraging employees to get vaccinated and we are providing them the time they need to get themselves and their families vaccinated. The faster we approach community protection, aka herd immunity, the sooner our economy shifts into high gear.

– Tom Bracken, President and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce

 

Barry OstrowskyAs Healthcare Workers, We Have an Obligation to Protects Patients

As healthcare workers and as team members committed to providing a culture of safety, we have an obligation to do all we can to protect our patients and the communities we serve. As a healthcare leader in the state, we must set the precedent to always provide the safest environment and protect the residents of New Jersey.

– Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, in a statement on RWJBarnabas Health’s website announcing it is mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all team members at the supervisory level and above, with the anticipation that it will eventually be required for all staff.

 

Responses for this article were edited for space and clarity.

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Newsmakers

Hackensack Meridian Health has received a $125 million donation from an anonymous benefactor, the largest gift ever given to a New Jersey health system. The money will support an expansion of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City. At the donor’s request, a new pavilion will be named for John K. Lloyd, the network’s former co-CEO who died in February 2024.

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has named Dr. William Holubek chief medical officer. Holubek, an emergency medicine physician by training, brings more than a decade of executive experience, previously serving as chief medical officer of Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida. He also held the role at University Hospital in Newark and served as vice president of medical affairs and CMO at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center.

The Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation has received a five-year, $3.7 million federal grant to expand lung cancer screening among high-risk populations.

RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center have opened a new 'Food Farmacy' at Monmouth Medical's Alexander Pavilion. It's the health system’s sixth location providing patients with nutritious food and individualized nutrition counseling.

Rutgers University and RWJBarnabas Health launched the Rutgers/RWJBarnabas Health Innovation Hub, powered by Amazon Web Services. Based at the Health and Life Science Exchange in New Brunswick, the hub will bring together students, clinicians, researchers and tech experts to address health care challenges.

Three New Jersey children’s hospitals have earned top rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best Children’s Hospitals list. Hackensack Meridian Health’s Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, considered as a single entity, tied for No. 1 in New Jersey with The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (part of RWJBarnabas Health). Atlantic Health’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 6 in the NYC region.

Princeton University and NJIT have been named New Jersey’s top-ranked private and public universities in TIME magazine’s inaugural 'America’s Best Colleges 2026-2027' rankings. Princeton landed at No. 4 nationally among all 500 ranked schools; NJIT came in at No. 95 overall and No. 38 among public institutions nationwide, making it the state’s highest-ranked public university on the list.

Stockton University has completed a $24 million expansion and renovation of the Richard E. Bjork Library and Learning Commons at its Galloway campus. The project, which took two years, was completed in time for the fall 2026 semester.

Montclair State University has opened a virtual reality learning facility in partnership with Dreamscape Learn. The center is designed to expand experiential learning and prepare students for digital media careers.  

United Airlines has launched a time-saving benefit for customers: the ability to order food, drinks and other travel essentials in advance through the United app and have their order waiting at the gate.

The UMC Foundation has promoted longtime staff members Gary Engelstad to senior director of giving and Rebecca Roe to senior foundation director. Engelstad, with more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit senior housing and philanthropy, will focus on donor relationships and corporate sponsorships. Roe, who joined the foundation in 2013, will oversee strategic planning, staff management and cross-functional coordination.

Jennifer D’Angelo has been named interim president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, an NJIT subsidiary founded in 2014 to accelerate technology development and connect private enterprise with university resources. D’Angelo will assume the role Sept. 21.

Novo Nordisk said it is rebranding its name to "Novo" and updating its corporate culture. Novo also announced a broader company rebrand focused around the phrase "Lasting Health Starts Now," which promotes the idea that patients should make progress toward long-term well-being immediately rather than later.

The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) has launched its 17th food drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Organized by the NJCPA’s Emerging Leaders Council, the food drive runs until Nov. 16.

JAG Physical Therapy has opened new clinics in North Brunswick, Old Bridge and Whiting, expanding access to rehabilitative and orthopedic services in Middlesex and Ocean counties. The additions bring JAG’s regional footprint to more than 180 locations.

Debra Rosen, a partner at Archer, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Honorable Joseph M. Nardi Jr. Distinguished Service Award from the Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association. Rosen, who has spent 40 years at Archer, focuses on environmental and toxic tort litigation, compliance and due diligence. She serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and Equity and Inclusion.

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis has formed a new practice team focused on legal services related to data center projects. Led by Barbara Koonz, the team can serve as lead counsel or as local New Jersey counsel for national and international law firms and developers.

Secaucus-based Quest Diagnostics has partnered with Apple to allow Apple's Health app users to purchase and schedule biomarker testing through the platform later this year. The service will offer a $119 laboratory panel measuring 50 biomarkers related to organ function and cardiometabolic health.

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