Barnabas Health Names Senior VP of Strategy and Planning

Barnabas Health announced it has named Jennifer G. Velez as its newest senior vice president of strategy and planning.

Velez, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJDHS), will assume office at Barnabas Health effective March 10, Barnabas Health Corporation said in a news release. As senior vice president of strategy and planning, Velez will oversee the development of the strategic vision and plan of Barnabas Health, the corporation said.

As senior vice president of strategy and planning, Velez’s duties will include assisting the facilities in development of location-specific strategic plans and integration with the system’s objectives, integrate facilities with the communities they serve, oversee community health assessments and integrate them into strategic plans, and identify growth opportunities, according to Barnabas Health.

Velez has held her current position with the NJDHS since 2007 and is New Jersey’s longest-serving Human Services Commissioner, Barnabas Health said in the release. She serves as a member of Governor Chris Christie and previously served as a cabinet member of former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine.

Velez has received numerous awards throughout her career, including being named No. 1 on the 2014 NJ BIZ Power 50 Healthcare list, where she has been listed for five consecutive years, Barnabas Health said. Velez received her Bachelor of Arts in economics from Drew University and her Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law, where she was the managing editor of the Rutgers Law Review.

For more information on this story, read the entire news release at Barnabas Health’s website.