West Orange, NJ, June 27, 2022– A stalwart of the New Jersey community, Marc E. Berson concludes his successful three-year term as Chair of the RWJBarnabas Health Board of Trustees at the end of this month. Mr. Berson’s tenure as Board Chair will forever be known as a transformational time of growth for the health care system.
A longstanding advocate for RWJBarnabas Health, Mr. Berson has served as Chair of the Board since 2019. He has also been Chairman of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, both RWJBarnabas Health facilities.
Mr. Berson served as Chair of Barnabas Health in 2016, when the merger of Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson Health System formed RWJBarnabas Health. RWJBarnabas Health has since grown into a $6.5 billion health system, which routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety, and its partnership with Rutgers University has formed New Jersey’s largest academic health care system.
“Marc’s influence goes well beyond the boardroom at RWJBarnabas Health. He cares deeply about our mission and has dedicated himself wholeheartedly to our organization for many years,” said Barry H. Ostrowsky, Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Marc not only helped to build our strategic vision, he was a true partner in executing on initiatives to improve health care delivery that continue to be transformative for our communities."
Mr. Berson is an established entrepreneur, attorney, and philanthropist with a focus in real estate development and operating manufacturing and service businesses. He is Chairman of the Fidelco Group and of the Fidelco Realty Group, an owner-developer of residential, commercial, retail, and industrial properties in the New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Ohio markets, which he founded in 1981.
Capitalizing on Fidelco's success developing distinct destinations in overlooked inner-city neighborhoods, Mr. Berson has invested in a wide-range of properties in urban areas throughout the country, including in his birthplace and the center of his civic and philanthropic endeavors – Newark, N.J. Fidelco has been an active investor in residential, commercial and industrial properties requiring rehabilitation, repositioning and/or environmental remediation, for the benefit of local communities. Recognized for its diverse portfolio of properties, Fidelco is leader in redevelopment as well as new construction projects, with those completed or under development encompassing millions of square feet of property.
Mr. Berson is dedicated to serving the community through his involvement in numerous nonprofit and community organizations. He has played an integral role in supporting some of Newark, New Jersey's key institutions, reflecting his long-time belief in and support of Newark's resurgence. Mr. Berson received his Bachelor's degree from Rutgers College in New Brunswick and his JD from Rutgers School of Law in Newark.
“Marc has been a tremendous advocate for our community, championing our system’s social impact work and prioritizing health outside the hospital walls,” added Mark E. Manigan, President, RWJBarnabas Health. “We are incredibly grateful for his steady leadership and support for our teams and our communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Marc is a true ambassador for RWJBarnabas Health.”
Mr. Berson will continue to serve as a member of the RWJBarnabas Health Board and as Chairman Emeritus at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
"I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented, passionate, and dedicated professionals. My appreciation and admiration for Barry Ostrowsky and his team and for my fellow trustees on the corporate board and the individual hospital boards is boundless,” said Mr. Berson. “There can be no more noble effort or greater responsibility than to deliver high quality health care to our fellow citizens. I'm confident the next generation of RWJBH leaders will continue to advance our mission with great success and I look forward to working with them."
ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth; three acute care children's hospitals; Children’s Specialized Hospital, including a network of outpatient centers; a behavioral health center and the state’s largest behavioral health network; two trauma centers; a satellite emergency department; ambulatory care centers; geriatric centers; comprehensive home care and hospice programs; fitness and wellness centers; retail pharmacy services; an affiliated medical group; multi-site imaging centers; and two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 38,000 employees and 9,000 physicians – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Rutgers University, is New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research, and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – the state's only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.