Systemwide Accolades include Physician of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and Innovation Hero
West Orange, NJ, June 13, 2023 – Three dedicated health care team members from RWJBarnabas Health were recognized by NJBIZ as 2023 Healthcare Heroes. The esteemed NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes list recognizes excellence, promotes innovation and honors the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in the state. Honorees from RWJBarnabas Health include:
- Dr. Colin O’Reilly, MD, DO, FAAP, FACOP, FCCM, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH), is recognized in the Physician of the Year category, which honors physicians whose job performance is considered exemplary by patients and peers. As Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. O’Reilly has improved the quality of care for pediatric patients and their families. He leads the Chronic Illness Management Program (CIMP)- the only program of its kind in the country - treating any child with a life-altering chronic illness, providing patients and families with structured, comprehensive service plans to address medical, physical, nutritional, and psychological well-being and effectively manage their condition, maximize quality of life, and achieve family-centered goals of care.
- Dr. Partho P. Sengupta, MD, MBBS, FACC, Henry Rutgers Professor and Chief of Division of Cardiology at Rutgers RWJ Medical School and Robert Woods Johnson University Hospital, is recognized in the Innovation Hero category. Dr. Sengupta established the Center for Innovation in 2022, an RWJUH and Rutgers RWJMS partnership bringing clinicians, researchers, and private industry together to invent technologies addressing healthcare issues, develop innovative clinical trials yielding medical breakthroughs, and improve preventive care/ health outcomes. He led efforts to bring MELODY™ robotic tele-cardiac ultrasound technology, the first of its kind deployed for US clinical use, to RWJUH, increasing patient access to expert diagnostic imaging via telehealth.
- Anthony LaTorre, Volunteer Internal Transporter at Children’s Specialized Hospital, is recognized in the Volunteer of the Year category. At 92 years young, Anthony LaTorre
lives his life committed to service in his community. He has been a Volunteer Internal Transporter at RWJBarnabas Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH) since 2009 and has totaled over 2,031 volunteer hours. After his beloved wife and fellow CSH Volunteer Internal Transporter, Rose Marie, passed away in 2020, Mr. LaTorre continued volunteering weekly. Giving back to his community and helping children kept him going after her loss – and keeps him going to this day. He hopes to continue volunteering for as
long as he can. His lifelong commitment to service and unwavering dedication to others have positively impacted the New Jersey community.
“RWJBarnabas Health’s outstanding healthcare professionals and volunteers are an unrivaled team of diverse individuals committed to excellence,” said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. "These awards are a testament to their dedication to advancing our noble mission to provide accessible, equitable and high-quality care to our communities. I am incredibly proud to be their colleague.”
The NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards will be formally presented on Tuesday, June 27th, at The Palace at Somerset Park. The full list of Healthcare Heroes recipients was announced on the NJBIZ website here.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight 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 Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children’s hospitals, Children’s Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers – with more than 38,000 employees and 9,000 physicians– and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic healthcare 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 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
Contact: Carrie Cristello
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org