West Orange, NJ, June 16, 2026 – Nicole Martinez, Chief Nursing Information Officer at RWJBarnabas Health has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s “170 Women in Health IT to Know” list for 2026. This list recognizes women in health IT for their dedication to completing the work of making healthcare smarter, faster and more effective. Ms. Martinez has been recognized for driving transformative change in health IT.
As Chief Nursing Information Officer, Ms. Martinez oversees key partnerships and strategic plans to optimize clinical care across the health system, leading the Nursing and Allied Health Collaborative of more than 650 clinical operation members responsible for assessing and prioritizing all clinically related changes across the system.
Ms. Martinez helped spearhead integration of Epic’s AI cognitive computing early warning system for patient deterioration across the system, contributing to an estimated 500 lives saved since April 2023. She also addressed a systemwide IV fluid shortage crisis, establishing data-driven procedures that produced a sustained 40% reduction in overall product usage, with non-trauma facilities reporting closer to a 70% reduction, and enabled the system to postpone less than 1% of all procedures. Her work with the Nursing and Allied Health Collaborative in partnership with the clinical analyst team has resulted in more than 1,500 evidence-based clinical optimizations to the EHR in the past year alone. RWJBarnabas Health has achieved Epic “Gold Stars” recognition faster than any other customer in Epic’s 43-year history.
This award distinguishes the top 170 women who are setting the stage for long term success of health IT. Those recognized are professionals who are revolutionizing the health system by solving inefficiencies, standardizing workflows and implementing innovative measures for the productivity of entire organizations.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.
RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.
RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.
Contact: Carrie Cristello
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org