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Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers logo
Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers logo
Biomedical and Health Sciences
Rutgers logo
Biomedical and Health Sciences

One RBHS: Process & Next Steps

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Our History

Created by a historic 2013 merger, with its first 5-year strategic plan released in November 2014, RBHS has rapidly developed into one of the nation’s premier academic health care centers, committed to a mission of excellence in biomedical and health care education, research, and patient care. In late 2019, a Strategic Planning Steering Committee was formed and charged with developing a revised and refreshed RBHS strategic plan building and expanding upon the many accomplishments of the first plan.

Responding to Challenges

As planning began, the nation was faced with a global pandemic. Unforeseen challenges disrupted the planning process as the university and the state relied on RBHS’s expertise to navigate the crisis. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the disproportionate impact on the health and wellbeing of disenfranchised and underserved individuals and communities. The strategic planning process resumed in the summer of 2020. The RBHS community shared insights and feedback via a survey and several town halls throughout the Fall 2020 semester. This information was gathered and developed into plan drafts that were shared through additional town halls in Fall 2021. The plan was finalized in March 2022.

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

The Strategic Planning Steering Committee members share a common purpose and a collaborative approach to serving in the best interests of RBHS as a collective. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee directed the Strategic Planning process to successful completion, and encouraged broad RBHS community input and insights concerning the development of actionable goals and objectives, engagement with internal and external stakeholders, identification of new challenges or opportunities, structural and operational alignment, and suggest priorities for investment in initiatives to support the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee then prioritized goals and objectives/strategies/activities to develop the plan. 

Andy Anderson 
CEO, RWJBarnabas-Rutgers Medical Group 

Joseph Barone 
Dean and Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy 

Sylvia Christakos (SPSC Co-Chair) 
Distinguished Professor, New Jersey Medical School 

Karen D'Alonzo 
Associate Professor, School of Nursing 

Cecile Feldman 
Dean and Professor, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine 

Bruce Haffty 
Associate Vice Chancellor for Cancer Programs, and Professor, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey 

Zach Hosseini 
Associate Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, RBHS 

Shawna Hudson 
Research Division Chief and Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 

Teri Lassiter 
Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion and Assistant Professor, School of Public Health and RBHS Faculty Council Representative 

Gwendolyn Mahon (SPSC Co-Chair) 
Dean and Professor, School of Health Professions 

Reynold Panettieri 
Vice Chancellor for Translational Medicine, RBHS and Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 

Pamela Valera 
Assistant Professor, School of Public Health 

Kyle Warren 
Senior Vice Dean, Administration and Student Services, School of Nursing 

Coordinating Committee

The Coordinating Committee supported the strategic planning process by scheduling, providing logistical support, and facilitating the work of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and Subcommittees.  

Denisse Caban-Santiago
Executive Assistant to the SVCAAR, RBHS SVCAAR

Sylvia Christakos (SPSC Co-Chair)
Distinguished Professor, New Jersey Medical School

Adrienne Ettinger
Chief of Staff for Research, RBHS SVCAAR

Gwendolyn Mahon (SPSC Co-Chair)
Dean and Professor, School of Health Professions

Meredith Mullane
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, RBHS

Bishr Omary
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research (SVCAAR), RBHS

Brent Ruben
Senior University Fellow, Center for Organizational Leadership/Distinguished Professor, School of Communication and Information, Rutgers University

Strategic Sub-Committees

  • Frank Ghinassi, Co-chair
    Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

    Kyle Warren, Co-chair
    School of Nursing

    Lisa McConlogue
    Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

    Thomas Regan
    Institute for Health

    David Roe
    New Jersey Medical School

    Dave Schulz
    Rutgers University Institutional Planning and Operations

    Vaishali Singhal
    School of Health Professions

    Johanna Stephenson
    School of Nursing

  • Jennifer Hollingshead, Co-chair
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Zach Hosseini, Co-chair
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Walter Douglas
    New Jersey Medical School

    Silvio Giraldo
    School of Graduate Studies

    William Green
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Patricia Hansen
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Cynthia Jetter
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Nadina Jose
    School of Health Professions

    Vanessa Vera
    School of Nursing

    Jason Yin
    Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

  • Andy Anderson, Co-chair
    RWJBarnabas-Rutgers Medical Group

    Bruce Haffty, Co-chair
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Andrew Brafman
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Mary DiGiulio
    School of Nursing

    Shereef Elnahal
    University Hospital

    Julia Grimes
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Josh Katz
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Nancy Phillips
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Karen Shapiro
    School of Health Professions

    Lydia Stockman
    Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

    Alfonso Waller
    New Jersey Medical School

  • Karen D’Alonzo, Co-chair
    School of Nursing

    Shawna Hudson, Co-chair
    Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Pamela Valera, Co-chair
    School of Public Health

  • Chantal Brazeau, Co-chair
    New Jersey Medical School

    Cecile Feldman, Co-chair
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Darlene Adams
    New Jersey Medical School

    Catherine Chen
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Alice Chu
    New Jersey Medical School

    Tynisha Coleman
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Benjamin Crabtree
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Frederick Darcy
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Dorna Edwards
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Janine Fredericks-Younger
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Nina Glass
    New Jersey Medical School

    Nancy Kirsch
    School of Health Professions

    Angelina Lowder
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Karen Melendez
    Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

    Cindy Merlino
    School of Health Professions

    Mechele Morris
    Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care

    Joshua Raymond
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Dawn Reinhardt-Wood
    School of Health Professions

    Emily Sabato
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Amy Smith
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Kimberly Trojak
    New Jersey Medical School

    Anita Van Wingerden
    School of Health Professions

    Larissa Varela
    Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

    Cindy York
    Rutgers Office for Research

  • Teri Lassiter, Co-chair
    School of Public Health

    Herminio Perez, Co-chair
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Luis Alzate-Duque
    New Jersey Medical School

    Dolores Anthony
    New Jersey Medical School

    Veronica Jones
    School of Nursing

    Vincent Tsiagbe
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Pamela Valera
    School of Public Health

    Jennifer Zabala
    School of Public Health

  • Joe Barone, Co-chair
    Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

    Barbara Gladson, Co-chair
    School of Health Professions

    Ellen Anderson
    School of Health Professions

    Virgil Muresan
    New Jersey Medical School

    Marie Nardone
    School of Health Professions

    Maria Pellerano
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Michael Pratt
    Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute

    Sandra Rogers
    School of Health Professions

    Greg Rokosz
    RWJBarnabas Health

    Harsh Sule
    New Jersey Medical School

    Carol Terregino
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Ioanna Tsolaki
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Arthea Watson
    School of Nursing

    Laura Willett
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Ashley Wong
    Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

  • Martin Blaser, Co-chair
    Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Reynold Panettieri, Co-chair
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Bioinformatics/Microbiome Subgroup

    Emily Barrett
    Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute/Rutgers School of Public Health

    Martin Blaser
    Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Luigi Brunetti
    Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

    Modupe Coker
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

    Gloria Dominguez-Bello
    School of Graduate Studies

    Mark Einstein
    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Ronaldo Ferraris
    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Sunanda Gaur
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Anat Kreimer
    Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine

    Vivian Li
    School of Public Health

    Aaron Milstein
    Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine

    Alison Obr
    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Frank Sonnenberg
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Melissa Weidner
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    David Zald
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Liping Zhao
    School of Graduate Studies

    Biological Basis of Disease Subgroup

    Hyung Jin Ahn
    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Lauren Aleksunes
    Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

    Steven An
    Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

    Namita Damle
    School of Graduate Studies

    Andrew Evens
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Laura Fabris
    School of Engineering

    Michael Gatza
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Salma Jabbour
    Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

    Reynold Panettieri
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Karen Schindler
    School of Arts and Sciences

    Marc Tambini
    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Population Health Subgroup

    Emily Barrett
    Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute/Rutgers School of Public Health

    Ollie Ganz
    School of Public Health

    Judith Graber
    Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute/Rutgers School of Public Health

    Carolyn Heckman
    Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

    Dan Horton
    Institute for Health

    Lawrence Kleinman
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Robert Laumbach
    Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute/Rutgers School of Public Health

    Corina Lelutiu-Weinberger
    School of Nursing

    Dawn Micale
    Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

    Mary O’Dowd
    Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

    Biju Parekkadan
    School of Engineering

    Shristi Rawal
    School of Health Professions

    Soko Setoguchi
    Institute for Health

    Michael Steinberg
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

    Steven Toth
    Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

Implementation, Monitoring, and Assessment

To achieve the strategic goals articulated in the plan, an Implementation, Monitoring and Assessment Team (IMAT) will define metrics to measure progress over the five-year plan.  The IMAT will be overseen by an executive coordinator in the RBHS Chancellor’s Office and an executive committee with two co-chairs and goals committees with co-chairs for the nine strategic goals.

Participation Opportunities

Use the form below to:

  • Submit an Idea
  • Share a Shining Example
  • Recognize an RBHS Community Member

Communications Resources