NEWS

New Brunswick, N.J. – September 5, 2024 – The American Hospital Association (AHA) has elected Leslie D. Hirsch, FACHE, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, to its esteemed Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2025. The Board of Trustees is the highest policymaking body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its directions and finances.

Hirsch is a seasoned healthcare executive whose career spans over 40 years and has served as president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System since 2017, having initially joined the organization as president in 2015.

Prior to joining Saint Peter’s, Hirsch served as president and CEO for seven years at Saint Clare’s Health System in Denville, NJ. He previously served as president and CEO of Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, LA, starting in August 2005, just one week before New Orleans took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina. Before joining Touro, Hirsch served as president and CEO of Exempla-Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO, as well as president and CEO of the Cooper Health System (now known as Cooper University Health Care) in Camden, NJ.

Hirsch has been active with the AHA for many years, having served several terms as a member of its Regional Policy Board (RPB) for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania and will also become chair of the RPB when he begins his three-year term on the AHA Board on January 1.

“I am honored to have been elected to the AHA Board of Trustees and look forward to serving as chair of Regional Policy Board 2,” said Hirsch. “AHA’s advocacy in support of the essential work of the hospital field nationally and its mission to Advance Health in America benefits the lives and wellbeing of those we serve in every community across the nation. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to actively participating in the important work ahead.”

Hirsch has been an active community leader throughout his career and presently serves as a member of the board of directors of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the Middlesex County Crime Stoppers board of directors and the board of trustees of the Hope Through Education Foundation. In addition, he served as chairman of the board of trustees of the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) for two consecutive terms in 2015 and 2016, and currently serves as chair of its HealthPAC board of directors. He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including having received Distinguished Service Awards from both the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)-New Jersey chapter and NJHA.

Hirsch earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, and a Master of Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ. He has been a fellow of the ACHE for over 30 years.
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About Saint Peter’s Healthcare System
Saint Peter’s Healthcare System Inc., parent company of the Saint Peter’s healthcare delivery system, is comprised of Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital and state-designated children’s hospital and regional perinatal center that includes a nationally renowned Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Saint Peter’s Foundation, the fundraising arm of the hospital; Saint Peter’s Health and Management Services Corp.; the CARES Surgicenter; and Saint Peter’s Physician Associates, a network of primary and specialty care physician practices. Saint Peter’s is a regional specialist in cancer care, diabetes, geriatrics, orthopedics, and head and neck surgery and is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and internal medicine. Saint Peter’s is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical Health and Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.

About the American Hospital Association (AHA)
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.