Balancing a community’s wide-ranging medical needs with the needs of a business is a fine line that South Jersey’s health care industry walks, requiring a nuanced approach to continually providing high-quality services that evolve with technology, best practices and breakthroughs, all while keeping the lights on and staff competitively compensated.
South Jersey Biz spoke to several experts representing various entities comprising the greater constellation of the region’s health care industry to learn more about their hurdles, philosophies and future outlook.
On today’s biggest challenges…
Our hospitals must balance their caring mission with today’s unprecedented fiscal challenges. In addition to the devastating cuts under the federal megabill, our health care system is confronted with an aging population, sicker patients with a greater burden of chronic health conditions, and a deep and persistent workforce shortage.
—Cathy Bennett, president and CEO, New Jersey Hospital Association
In a word, costs. We recently published our 2025 Health Benefits Survey and 80% of respondents said their average per-covered employee health care cost increased from the company’s previous renewal period. Of those, 52% said their increase was between 1% and 10%, and another 42% said that increase was between a sizable 11% and 25%. That second number is very concerning for an employer who is trying to either survive or grow, because you have to find other ways to meet those added costs, among other growing expenses that businesses face.
—Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., president and CEO, New Jersey Business & Industry Association
On community involvement…
AmeriHealth employees are allowed to volunteer on work time, so we are 100% into the philosophy of volunteerism. We know that our business model is the community: If the business model puts the member first, the business will do well. You have to be member-centric and member-focused to maximize community wellness, and no one here is afraid to roll up their sleeves. This is a big month for us, since it’s our big kickoff for the fall season’s volunteers and getting those campaigns up and running.
—Dr. Donna Raziano, network medical director, AmeriHealth
On balancing business and community needs…
[We] have to see the “big picture” and understand the interplay between both. … We at Jefferson advocate for things like broad vaccination, access to care for all, reduced admissions and readmissions, and improved outcomes for the communities we serve. By ensuring care continues outside the walls of the hospital, it is important to address the social determinants of health, which can assist in keeping overall cost of care down. It is not an easy task, especially with the expense challenges we face today, but health care providers need to be in constant pursuit of a more efficient care model.
—Aaron Chang, regional president, Jefferson Health East
There’s business decisions we might make that a for-profit might not make because we’re investing in the community. If we can’t sustain something, we can’t sustain it—but we always try to find a way to make sure that we meet those fundamental needs that a community has. It might mean that we’re no longer doing this one thing because it doesn't work any longer, so it becomes ‘How do we accomplish that now in a new landscape? How do we transition from what we were doing to what we can be doing to still meet that need?’ Whether it’s a grant opportunity or one-time funding, we’re asking how do we take this and scale it and make sure it’s sustainable.
—Michael D’Amico, LCSW, vice president, Oaks Integrated Care
On the importance of partnerships…
We’ve recently held a senior expo at Camp Care in downtown Camden, we work with Ronald McDonald House for monthly meals, we work with Grow a Row in trying to get fruits and vegetables and healthy recipes out there. We do whatever we can to encourage access to care with our community partners, like with mobile mammographies across the state offering that preventative care.
—Dr. Donna Raziano
We began this partnership with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) where they were providing tuition reduction for Oaks employees ... so we’ve been able to send staff back to school who were interested in pursuing a master’s degree. This past year with TCNJ, they’ve been able to get this two-year apprenticeship program off the ground where Oaks is one of their biggest partners: Folks who are in this master’s program become Oaks employees, so in lieu of doing coursework, they’re learning on the job with supervision from Oaks and the college.
—Michael D’Amico
On incorporating new technology and breakthroughs…
Telehealth and remote patient monitoring play a transformative role in modern health care. These technologies expand access to care, improve health outcomes, and reduce costs by enabling patients to connect with providers from virtually anywhere. Telehealth supports urgent, primary, behavioral, and specialty care, often with 24/7 availability, making it easier for patients to receive timely treatment without the need for in-person visits.
—Chuck Cerniglia, Executive Director, UnitedHealthcare of New Jersey
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington Township is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer program, where we design and implement hundreds of clinical trials for the advancement of cancer treatment. These clinical trials result in changes in care that improve survival rates and reduce the toxic effects of treatment, improving, and in many cases, saving the lives of our patients. We see these breakthroughs every day and we are extremely proud that these discoveries are made right here in South Jersey.
—Aaron Chang
On the future of local health care…
South Jersey is poised for significant growth and innovation in health care, and I’m confident UnitedHealthcare’s expanding presence and forward-thinking solutions will drive this success. With our strong provider network across New Jersey, UnitedHealthcare can ensure access to high-quality care while supporting these providers with tools that simplify operations and improve patient outcomes.
—Chuck Cerniglia
It looks promising. We're seeing expansion and renovation projects at Cooper University Health Care and Inspira medical centers. In South Jersey, just like other parts of the state, we're seeing a growing emphasis on digital and personalized medicine and virtual care. One of the bigger concerns for health care in South Jersey and throughout the state, however, are critical shortages in nurses, care staff and physicians, to go along with increased costs.
—Michele N. Siekerka, Esq.
Hospitals are addressing the growing demand for health care with initiatives like Cooper University Health Care’s ‘Project Imagine’ in Camden, which will increase access to care as well as jobs; Inspira Health’s recent expansion at its Mullica Hill hospital with enhanced services in cardiology, oncology and neurology; Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s new Olsen Family Patient Care Pavilion; two new patient floors recently added at AtlantiCare; and Jefferson Health’s new radiation oncology suite in Cherry Hill. In our communities, Virtua Health’s Oliver Station development is addressing the health, housing and social support needs of seniors. I’ve said it before, and it remains true: There is every reason to stay in South Jersey for top-notch, state-of-the-art health care.
—Cathy Bennett
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Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 15, Issue 9 (September 2025).
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