Cherry Hill, NJ, September 12, 2023 — Jefferson has announced that Aaron Chang, FACHE, has been named President of Jefferson Health – East, effective October 16, 2023. Chang brings vast experience in the academic, non-profit, and private sectors, with a passion for improving community health.

In his new role, Chang will be responsible for overseeing daily operations of Jefferson’s three New Jersey acute care hospitals in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, NJ, recently ranked among the top 10 in New Jersey on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” list.

A results-oriented executive, Chang comes to Jefferson from Catholic Health in New York, where he was President of Sisters of Charity Hospitals and Central Market Leader. In that role, He had oversight of two acute care hospitals and led care continuum initiatives across a portfolio of post-acute facilities, physician enterprise clinics, and ambulatory sites.

During his tenure with Catholic Health, Chang led his team in quality work that earned them Leapfrog “A” status, opened new programs such as the Clearview Inpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Center to combat the opioid epidemic, and was recognized for emergency preparedness efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also established the facility’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.

The community will also benefit from Chang’s prior operational leadership expertise in cardiac catheterization labs as Jefferson recently received NJ state certification to offer a specialized treatment, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, at its Washington Township Hospital for STEMI patients presenting with a type of heart attack blocking a coronary artery.

“Aaron is a talented leader whose expertise will help guide the delivery of Jefferson Health’s world-class healthcare in New Jersey,” said Jefferson’s President, Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, MSc, FACP. “We look forward to working together to expand access to care and strengthen our commitment to the South Jersey community.”

“It is an honor to join a storied organization like Jefferson Health. I am excited to work with an incredible group of professionals, medical staff, and community leaders to build on a legacy of quality care and advance the mission of improving lives,” said Aaron Chang, FACHE, Regional President, Jefferson Health. 

Chang’s previous career achievements included serving as Dignity Health’s Market Chief Operating Officer for St. John’s Hospitals in California and Associate Administrator for UHS-Palmdale Regional Medical Center, also in California.

Chang earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science with an emphasis in Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. He also holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from California State University, East Bay.

About Jefferson

Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining healthcare and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 42,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical, and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Kanbar College of Design, Engineering, and Commerce, is a national doctoral research university that dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,400 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia area, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 17 hospitals and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region.  Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.