Our Nursing Leaders

RWJ University Hospital Rahway

Eric Kleinert, MSN, RN

Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Services

Tara Cullen MBA, BSN, RN

Senior Director of Nursing Operations

Caroline Kornutik, RN, MSN, CNOR, NE-BC

Senior Director of Perioperative Services

Caroline has been in Nursing 37 years. She is a graduate from Saint Peter’s University, where she earned her BSN, and the University of Phoenix, where she earned her MSN. She is certified as an OR nurse and holds a Nurse Executive certification.

Caroline grew up in Ireland and did her initial Nursing Diploma in Dr Steevens Hospital which at the time was the oldest hospital in Dublin, Ireland (now closed). From here her passion for a career in Operating rooms led her to London and an English national Board Certification from Guys hospital, London, UK.

Caroline Comes to RWJUH Rahway from Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center where she spent 30 years. Initially hired as a staff nurse in the Operating room, moving into management within 5 years and promoted to Director of Perioperative services for 12 years. Caroline has had nursing supervision experience and just prior to her arrival at Rahway, ran the vaccine clinic at CMBC for 1 year.

Caroline is a member of AORN, Sigma Theta Tau International (past Chapter president) and ONL-NJ

She is passionate about staff engagement, staff empowerment and process improvement.

Sheri Cleaves, RN, MSN, CCRN, CRNI

Magnet Program Director

Sheri, who has more than 39 years’ experience in nursing leadership and education, comes to us from St. Mary's hospital in Lewiston, Maine, where she was an interim nursing director. Prior to that, she worked at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus as Administrative Director for Nursing, including Magnet and Nursing Education. She’s also worked at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center as Administrative Director of Professional Development. For more than 25 years, she worked at Muhlenberg Hospital and JFK Medical Center in Critical Care and Infusion Therapy. A graduate of Muhlenberg Hospital School of Nursing, Sheri received her BSN at Jersey City State College and completed her Masters of Science in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, with the specialty of Critical Care, Trauma and Emergency. She is currently licensed as an APN. Sheri is especially proud of her recent certification as a Nurse Coach and is a proud founding member of the Nightingale Nurses Honor Guard of New Jersey, which recognizes deceased women and men who have dedicated their lives to the nursing profession.