Shereef Elnahal

Shereef Elnahal (born June 5, 1985) is an American physician who served as the 21st Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health in the State of New Jersey. In July 2019 he became president/CEO of University Hospital in Newark.[2][3]

Shereef Elnahal
21st Commissioner of New Jersey Department of Health
In office
January 25, 2018 – July 2019
GovernorPhil Murphy
Preceded byChristopher Rinn[1]
Succeeded byJudith Persichilli
Personal details
Born (1985-06-05) June 5, 1985
New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationHarvard University
Johns Hopkins University

In November 2020, Elnahal was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.[4]

Background

Elnahal is the son of physicians who moved to the United States from Egypt. He grew up in Linwood and Galloway Township[5] and attended St. Augustine Preparatory School before transferring to and graduating from Mainland Regional High School in 2003.[6]

He received a dual-degree M.D. and M.B.A. from Harvard University. He also received a B.A. in biophysics from Johns Hopkins University.[7]

Elnahal was appointed to the White House Fellows program by President Barack Obama in 2015.[8]

Elnahal was the chief quality and safety officer of the Veterans Health Administration in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.[9]

New Jersey Department of Health

Shereef Elnahal was nominated in January 2018 to serve in the Cabinet of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.[10] He was approved by the New Jersey Senate on March 8, 2018[11] and sworn in April 2, 2018.[12] He is the first Muslim-American to serve in the cabinet.[13] He will resign July 1, 2019 to become president/CEO of University Hospital in Newark.[14]

In order address the opioid epidemic, Elnahal's efforts included expansion of syringe access and harm reduction,[15] new funding to connect substance use disorder providers to electronic health records and a statewide health information exchange,[16] and reducing regulatory barriers to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction treatment.[17]

On June 24, 2019, Dr. Elnahal authorized NJ's paramedics to administer buprenorphine in the field after naloxone administration at the time of overdose.[18] Although buprenorphine use for withdrawal management is technically off-label, the rationale is to manage a patient's withdrawal symptoms and cravings immediately after revival, in order to encourage more to accept transport to the emergency room for further care.[19] NJ is the first state in the nation to take this step, and received national attention for doing so.[20]

Soon after his election, Governor Murphy restored state funding to family planning agencies in New Jersey, which were line-item vetoed by Governor Chris Christie, Murphy's predecessor, for seven straight annual budgets. Under Commissioner Elnahal, the Department then disbursed these funds in grants that resulted in 10,000 more women served, 80,000 additional STD tests administered, and many additional clinic hours and staff.[21] Elnahal has also collaborated with NJ First Lady Tammy Murphy on maternal and infant health initiatives, including her Nurture NJ.[22]

Dr. Elnahal also expanded provider participation in the NJ Health Information Network, a statewide health information exchange. Over 60 hospitals, three federally qualified health centers, and 6,000 physicians joined this network since the Murphy administration began, tying important sources of hospital funding like charity care to requirements to join the program.[23]

During Elnahal's tenure, the Department of Health significantly expanded New Jersey's medical marijuana program, more than doubling the number of dispensaries and number of patients served, and expanding the number of physicians in the program.[24]

References
  1. Livio, Susan K. (9 November 2017). "Christie appoints 9/11 responder to N.J.'s top health post". nj.com.
  2. NJ.com, Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for (2019-06-24). "Nurse who exposed problems at state's only public hospital will be N.J.'s next top health official, sources say". nj. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  3. NJ.com, Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for (2019-06-25). "Murphy makes it official on N.J. health commissioner. She'll be the first former nurse hold the post". nj. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  4. "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  5. "Murphy nominates Muslim-American for health commissioner". Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  6. Leonard, Nicole. "Mainland grad likely to become new New Jersey health commissioner", The Press of Atlantic City, March 12, 2018. Accessed May 21, 2019. "Before Elnahal became a state-appointed physician under Murphy and a federal one under President Barack Obama in 2015, he and his siblings grew up in Galloway Township and Linwood, where his parents settled after emigrating from Egypt.... Elnahal attended St. Augustine Prep in Buena Vista Township and later Mainland Regional, where he graduated second in his class in 2003."
  7. "Shereef M. Elnahal, MD, MBA". www.ahvrp.org.
  8. Oct 2, Katie Pearce / Published; 2015 (2015-10-02). "New class of White House Fellows includes two from Johns Hopkins". The Hub. Retrieved 2020-06-11.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. Office of the Commissioner. "NJ Department of Health". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  10. Johnson, Brent (9 January 2018). "Murphy to choose another ex-Obama official for his Cabinet". nj.com.
  11. Writer, NICOLE LEONARD Staff. "Mainland grad likely to become new New Jersey health commissioner". Press of Atlantic City.
  12. "Take Five with Commissioner Elnahal". NJHCQI. 12 April 2018.
  13. Johnson, Brent (January 11, 2018). "Another Phil Murphy cabinet pick could make history". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. "NJ health commissioner leaves to become University Hospital president and CEO". North Jersey.
  15. N.J. to launch local needle exchanges, enhance services at current sites. "WHYY". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  16. NJ TO FUND BETTER ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS FOR ADDICTION SERVICES. "NJ Spotlight". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  17. Should behavioral health patients be able to get treatment in primary care settings? Elnahal says, ‘Yes’. "ROI-NJ". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  18. NJ health commissioner: Paramedics can now carry buprenorphine for OD victims. "Courier Post". Retrieved July 3, 2019
  19. NJ FIRST STATE TO LET PARAMEDICS OFFER PRIME OPIOID-WITHDRAWAL DRUG. "NJ Spotlight". Retrieved July 3, 2019
  20. A Radical Way to Stop Heroin Overdoses. "The Atlantic". Retrieved July 3, 2019
  21. Murphy: State sees increase in women’s access to health care after funding is restored. "News 12 NJ". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  22. NJ’S First Lady Launches Campaign To Lower Maternal Mortality. "NJ Spotlight." Retrieved May 13, 2019
  23. Charity care funding to remain unchanged at $262M — but, this year, it comes with requirements. "ROI-NJ". Retrieved May 13, 2019
  24. Murphy says medical marijuana program adds 25K patients. "NJTV". Retrieved May 14, 2019
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