Ten years after the union of two of New Jersey’s premier health systems, Hackensack Meridian Health continues to redefine what’s possible through world-class healthcare, groundbreaking research, and a relentless commitment to innovation.
BY AMANDA McCOY
In the summer of 2016, the New Jersey healthcare landscape underwent a profound shift as Hackensack University Health Network and Meridian Health officially joined forces. The merger marked one of the most significant moments in the state’s healthcare history; overnight, Hackensack Meridian Health became the largest and most comprehensive integrated healthcare network in New Jersey, expanding the organization’s reach from Northern Jersey down to the Shore. The union set in motion an ambitious vision: to transform healthcare for the millions of people who call the Garden State home.
Fast-forward to present day, and Hackensack Meridian Health has become one of the nation’s most dynamic health networks. Today, its umbrella encompasses 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations across New Jersey, with continued expansion on the horizon. Its flagship hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, made history as the first hospital in New Jersey to earn a Top 20 national ranking on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll. Since the merger, the network has continued to push the boundaries of medicine, from launching its own fully accredited medical school to pioneering breakthrough technologies that are reshaping patient care.
“I am so proud of how far we’ve come in ten years,” said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, who began his career at Hackensack University Medical Center in 1981. “We came together with a mission to lead positive change, and we have never taken that mission lightly.”
After the merger, the momentum began immediately. That same year, Hackensack Meridian Health expanded its footprint with the addition of Raritan Bay Medical Center and Palisades Medical Center, strengthening care throughout Middlesex, Hudson, and southern Bergen counties. Two years later, JFK University Medical Center in Edison joined the fold, expanding the network’s cardiac, neuroscience, rehabilitation, and specialty care programs.
That same year, the organization broke new ground with the launch of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine – the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years. The school emphasizes collaboration, community engagement, and whole-person care, preparing future physicians to meet the evolving needs of modern medicine. The school celebrated its sixth graduating class this year, and since its inception, half of its graduates are now practicing medicine in the Garden State.
“The school really gave us the opportunity to innovate,” said Garrett. “We have a great, innovative curriculum that will really serve doctors in the future. I also think it will make them more well-rounded and better suited to face some of the challenges in healthcare as we move forward.”
Innovation accelerated again in 2019 with the opening of the Center for Discovery and Innovation, bringing together a collective of scientists and researchers focused on cancer, infectious diseases, neuroscience, dementia, and autoimmune disorders. The center quickly became one of New Jersey’s premier biomedical research hubs, translating laboratory discoveries into real-world patient care. That same year, HMH expanded behavioral health services through its merger with Carrier Clinic, backed by a $25 million investment that strengthened mental health and addiction treatment statewide. Together, the organizations launched the nation’s first medically integrated urgent care centers with on-site behavioral health services.
It was a time of remarkable growth and achievement; then the network faced its greatest challenge yet. In March 2020, Hackensack University Medical Center treated New Jersey’s first confirmed COVID-19 patient. Within weeks, nearly 3,000 COVID-19 patients were receiving care across the network – more than any other health system in the state. At the same time, researchers at the Center for Discovery and Innovation developed a rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test while physicians, nurses, and frontline caregivers adapted to an unprecedented public health crisis. Even amid the pandemic, innovation continued, with Hackensack University Medical Center achieving national firsts in robotic joint replacement surgery and a groundbreaking heart failure neuromodulation device.
“Our team was truly incredible,” noted Garrett. “They created something out of nothing. They were innovative on the frontlines each and every day.”
The years that followed reflected the organization’s continued investment in research, education, and accessibility. By 2021, the Center for Discovery and Innovation had expanded to 22 laboratories and more than 160 scientists, supported by over $165 million in research commitments. It also secured a National Institutes of Health grant worth up to $108 million – the largest research award in HMH history.
As healthcare continues to evolve, so does the way patients access it. New Health & Wellness Centers in Clark and Paramus introduced a one-stop model that combines primary care, specialty services, imaging, laboratory testing, rehabilitation, and wellness under one roof. In 2024, HMH launched Hospital from Home, offering remote-monitoring technology with around-the-clock physician oversight while nurses safely deliver hospital-level care inside a patient’s home. The organization also broke ground on another industry first: the nation’s first transit-hub health and wellness center at Metropark Station, reimagining convenient, community-based care for the next generation of Garden Staters.
By 2025, nearly a decade of strategic growth had earned national praise. Hackensack University Medical Center was named the No. 1 hospital in the entire New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. John Theurer Cancer Center became the highest-ranked cancer center in New Jersey, and Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health was ranked New Jersey’s No. 1 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report for the fifth consecutive year. The accolades don’t end with patient care, either. Last year, HMH earned a spot on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, becoming one of only nine healthcare organizations nationwide to earn the distinction.
Ten years after bringing together two legacy health systems, Hackensack Meridian Health has grown into one of the nation’s leading integrated health networks, powered by thousands of dedicated physicians, nurses, researchers, and team members all united by a single purpose: delivering exceptional care to every community they serve. “Looking back on the incredible accomplishments and unprecedented growth, I know none of it could have occurred without a strong and aligned culture,” said Garrett. “We built something here that’s very special.”
Hackensack Meridian Health — hackensackmeridianhealth.org