New Commissioner, Leadership Team Join DOH

TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 25 -- The New Jersey Department of Health issued the following news release:

Acting Commissioner Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A, joined the New Jersey Department of Health today and announced the new management team that will shape a new vision for the agency, which oversees health care facilities, public health services, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, emergency medical services and medicinal marijuana.

"I am honored that Governor Murphy has nominated me to lead the Department of Health. It is a tremendous responsibility, and we face many challenges, including improving the quality and delivery of care, closing insurance coverage gaps, restoring funding for women's health programs, and ensuring an equitable system of charity care," Dr. Elnahal said.

The Department's new management team includes Andrea Martinez-Mejia, M.A., M.P.A., as Chief of Staff; Jackie Cornell, M.P.A.P., as Principal Deputy Commissioner, and Marcela Ospina-Maziarz, M.P.A., as Deputy Commissioner of Health Systems.

"The new team at the Department of Health draws from the best leaders in health care policy, public health, and advocacy in New Jersey. I could not be more optimistic about the team that will be joining me in the administration," Dr. Elnahal said.

The son of Egyptian doctors who immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt, Dr. Elnahal, 32, is a radiation oncologist who grew up in Atlantic County. He most recently served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety, and Value at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, managing a workforce of hundreds of employees and a budget of over $180 million. At the VA, he led efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare for veterans across the country. In addition, he spearheaded efforts on transparency in access and performance, and standardized best practices that prevent opioid dependency, improve women's healthcare, and enhance access to care for veterans. He also built a healthcare operations center that facilitated response efforts to facilities in crisis. He was appointed to the VA by former President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow in 2015.

While at the VA, Dr. Elnahal founded the Diffusion of Excellence Initiative, which established consistent clinical and administrative operations across the nation. He has also served as an adjunct assistant professor at the Georgetown University Department of Health Policy and Management, where he taught graduate courses on healthcare quality and performance. He has authored numerous publications on health care quality, operations management, and patient safety in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Journal of Medical Quality, and the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He co-developed a published methodology that doubled clinic efficiency in the Johns Hopkins Pancreatic Multidisciplinary Clinic, cutting patient wait times by half. As an operations consultant for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, he expanded on this work to improve care access for veterans and active duty service members.

Dr. Elnahal is a licensed physician and earned his dual-degree M.D. and M.B.A with Distinction from Harvard University. He also graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in biophysics from Johns Hopkins University. As a resident physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, he treated victims and survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing.

As Chief of Staff, Martinez-Mejia will provide leadership to three major branches, 10 divisions, 14 offices, and four commissions. She will oversee administrative, financial and facility management; communications; boards and commissions; ethics compliance; data privacy; diversity and equity services; human resources, recruitment and training; legislative and constituent services.

Prior to joining the Department, Martinez-Mejia served as Coordinator of Community Health Services for the City of Trenton's Department of Health and Human Services, where she worked on day-to-day operations and oversaw various programs and initiatives. Previously, she worked as Community Recovery Director for the American Red Cross's Superstorm Sandy Long-Term Recovery Team. She has extensive government experience, including serving as Acting Director of Appointments under three Governors, Director of Community Relations and Constituency Services for the Department of Health, and Director of Constituent Relations for the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of State. Martinez-Mejia earned her B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University. She graduated from Seton Hall University with a Master's degree in Public Administration and a Master's degree in Diplomacy and International Relations in 2008.

As Principal Deputy Commissioner, Cornell will oversee the Public Health Services branch which includes the Divisions of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health; Family Health Services; Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratories and Emergency Preparedness; HIV, STD and TB Services; and the Medicinal Marijuana Program.

Before joining the Department, Cornell served in many leading policy and political roles in New Jersey. She was Director of Development and External Affairs at New Jersey Policy Perspective, where she led fundraising and outreach efforts, and prior to that, was senior director of Federal Relations and Regulatory Affairs at the New Jersey Hospital Association. Former President Barack Obama appointed her regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She has also worked in senior leadership positions for New Jersey Citizen Action and Planned Parenthood. She currently serves on the National Programs Committee for the New Leaders Council as well as the on the Advisory Board of the New Jersey chapter.

She is a graduate of The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University and The College of New Jersey, where she has taught courses in gender and public policy, and feminist advocacy.

As Deputy Commissioner of Health Systems, Ospina-Maziarz will oversee inspections and enforcement for 2,200 licensed health care facilities, the Certificate of Need Program, Health Facility and Field Operations; and major hospital finance programs such as Charity Care, Graduate Medical Education, and the Delivery Systems Reform Incentive Payment Program.

Prior to joining the Department, Ospina-Maziarz served as the Assistant Director of Budget and Fiscal Policy for the New Jersey Senate Majority Office, where she staffed the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and was instrumental in drafting and passing the state's FY18 Budget. Ospina-Maziarz focused on initiatives to combat opioid addiction by expanding access to treatment and mental health services; to include pregnant women as a protected category under the state law against discrimination; to secure funding for increased lead testing of children, and to bring the state's blood lead level testing rules in line with federal guidelines.

Previously, Ospina-Maziarz served as the Public Information Officer for the Department of Labor, Deputy Press Secretary for former Governor Jon S. Corzine and as a Legislative Director for a member of the state Assembly. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University.