Agent of Change

Bob Garrett
President and CEO, Hackensack University Medical Center

When Bob Garrett was named president and CEO of Hackensack University Medical Center in early November, it brought to a close a five-month nationwide search that attracted more than 200 highly qualified candidates. Turns out, those charged with the search knew they couldn't find anyone better than the man already leading the state's largest hospital. Garrett has served as HUMC's chief operating officer for 19 years and, since last June, had served as its acting CEO. On Garrett's appointment, J. Fletcher Creamer Jr., chairman of HUMC's board of governors, noted, "Bob is dedicated to the mission of healing and passionate to achieve that mission. He has a proven track record as a visionary administrator, an outstanding communicator and consensus builder, the kind of person who can make our great institution even better."

The appointment came as no surprise to the medical center's 7,800-person staff, among whom he is beloved. No doubt, much of their admiration stems from their close contact with Garrett. On any given day, he talks to anywhere from 100 to 150 staff in departments ranging from nursing to environmental services. "I'm constantly 'rounding'," he says, "exchanging ideas with staff and asking 'What can we do better?'" It's these hands-on, no-holds-barred exchanges that have made Garrett the leader he is. "My style is to engage a variety of stakeholders, involve them in the process and, thus, have all the best information from all the key groups."

Garrett takes the reins at a particularly important time in the hospital's -- and national health care's -- history. Bergen's largest private employer, HUMC is in the midst of a major expansion, adding a Cancer Center and Heart & Vascular Hospital while also petitioning to permanently reopen and operate Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood. Always an innovator, Garrett has also established an oncology affiliation with Saint Clare's Hospital in Denville, and created a unique partnership with the NY Giants called Touchdown Fund for Kids, Cardiac and Cancer to raise funds for medical center programs.

"We face the same challenges that other institutions face but we are financially well-positioned for the future. Our strategy is one of collaboration, which will serve us well with health care reform," he notes. "Consumers, insurance companies and the government are all striving for value in health care and we are striving to provide the best value that can be achieved by providing the highest quality care efficiently."
He is widely credited with creating a culture of transparency and credibility at HUMC. "By sharing all the information, both good and bad, with employees, we keep them engaged and this reinforces our aim to communicate well and transparently." His strategy is working. The hospital's employee satisfaction scores are at their highest ever.

A hospital volunteer during high school, Garrett's career in hospital administration seemed destined. "I still remember shadowing Sister Mary Jean Brady at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Center," he says with a smile. He received his master's degree in health administration from Washington University in St. Louis. In 1981, he joined HUMC as an administrative resident. Today, 28 years later, he says,"I feel like I grew up here."