How University Hospital Went From Struggling to Thriving

UH president and CEO, and President Biden's new pick for undersecretary for health at the VA, Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, details the steps taken to improve the hospital's finances, quality, culture, and community trust. Elnahal, who was recently nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as undersecretary for health for the Veterans Health Administration, became president and CEO of UH after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an Executive Order to install a monitor in the organization following concerns around the hospital's quality of care and financial struggles.

The organization experienced margins in the red, a disconnect between leaders and the workforce, and distrust from a community that the organization had promised to support.At that time, the hospital faced many challenges including:

• Operating at a $12 million loss
• Having an earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of just over 2%
• Receiving a D from LeapFrog in quality after having received an F two grades prior
• A disconnect with the community
• A disconnect between the top management of the hospital and the workforce