Hackensack Meridian Health

Iselin, N.J. – September 21, 2026 -- Hackensack Meridian Health's Board of Trustees announced that CEO Robert C. Garrett will retire effective June 30, 2027, ending a tenure that built New Jersey's largest health network from the ground up. A national search for his successor is now underway, with the Board targeting a decision by the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Network expanded to 18 hospitals and 41,000 employees over ten years

Since HMH's creation a decade ago, the system has grown to 18 hospitals, 41,000 team members and more than 500 patient care locations across New Jersey — nearly triple its size at launch. Under Garrett, the network also opened the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the state's first new private medical school in decades, alongside a new discovery research center.