Hackensack Meridian Health Named One of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, has been included in the Fortune list of “America’s Most Innovative Companies.”

The health network was named to the list for the second year in a row. It is among a select group of health systems among all industries nationwide to be recognized.

“We are constantly striving to do things better, for our patients,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, the chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our world-class physicians, researchers, scientists, nurses and experts from so many fields continually make us better. In this environment, we are all working in the same direction for the health of all. This is the way we keep challenging ourselves to improve.”

“Innovation is what drives outcomes - now and into the future” added Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, Hackensack Meridian Health’s president of Academics, Research and Innovation, founding chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Research Institute (HMHRI), and associate dean of Clinical Integration and professor and chair emeritus of Urology at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

Hackensack Meridian Health formed in 2016, bringing together world-class care and research from across New Jersey. The Hackensack Meridian Health Research Institute was created in 2022 to centralize all the lines of scientific inquiry from across the entire health network spanning 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations, among other sites. The HMHRI operates a connected academic and research ecosystem across HMH which is focused on developing novel translational therapies for a wide range of health conditions: solid and liquid cancers, diabetes, dementia, auto-immune disorders, infectious disease. Other focused inquiry is on cardiovascular, neuroscience, children’s disorders, behavioral medicine, geriatrics, population health , musculoskeletal, integrative and rehabilitation medicine, women’s and men’s health, precision medicine, genomics, digital transformation services, artificial intelligence, and quality topics.

Among the key components of the HMHRI is the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), established in 2019 to conduct science with clinical impact by translating insights from molecular and cellular science to improve patient outcomes, in real-time. CDI science, guided by unmet medical need, is intended to address clinical urgency. The CDI comprises 32 state-of-the-art laboratories and more than 200 scientists and staff, housing federally-supported programs seeking next-generation drugs for drug-resistant bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

The growth of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine is another crucial catalyst in Hackensack Meridian Health’s ecosystem. The state’s newest medical school admitted its first students in 2018, and boasts a progressive vision of medical education based on humanism and community outreach. The school has graduated 268 students, many of whom are currently healing in HMH clinical locations, and at other institutions across the country.

Among the highlights what’s happening across this dynamic ecosystem:

• The HMHRI has established the first “spin-out” company, EValuate Diagnostics, from CDI science and expertise. Its mission: to develop and market a system to help identify disease biomarkers for earlier-than-ever detection of tumors and other diseases.
• HMH’s “Bear’s Den” innovation program facilitates and supports breakthroughs in healthcare technology and delivery. The Bear’s Den convenes a panel of industry experts to evaluate innovative health care products and services, establish strategic partnerships, and provide funding to bring promising ideas to market, including ideas from team members.
• HMH was selected as an inaugural spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), in November 2023.
• HMH was named one of Modern Healthcare’s 2024 Innovators - the only such organization so named in New Jersey, and among only 10 nationwide to receive the distinction.
• The HMHRI hosted its third-annual, network-wide research symposium in 2024, demonstrating how the HMH ecosystem is driving progress. Presentation highlights included: artificial intelligence, behavioral health, childhood arthritis, tracheal bioengineered grafts, and clinical trials surveys across New Jersey.
• HMH is one of three health systems nationwide to work with the Parkinson’s Foundation in determining new care recommendations for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
• U.S. News & World Report named Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center the #1 hospital in New Jersey on its Best Hospitals list, making it the only New Jersey hospital with the #1 adult and children’s hospital rankings. Jersey Shore University Medical Center was ranked a top hospital on New Jersey’s Best Hospitals list at #4, and is also the #1 children’s hospital in the state. Hackensack University Medical Center is home to John Theurer Cancer Center, which was named the best cancer center in New Jersey, ranked among the top 50 cancer centers nationwide. In addition to cancer care, Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) rehabilitation services ranked among the best in the nation, with JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute ranked #33 nationwide. HMH hospitals across the network were acknowledged for excellence by U.S. News & World Report, with the most nationally-ranked specialties of any health network in New Jersey. HMH hospitals earned recognition for 52 high performing procedures and conditions across 11 hospitals – the most of any health system in New Jersey.