(New Brunswick, NJ) – Leonard Y. Lee, MD, chief of Surgical Services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, and James W. Mackenzie, M.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Rutgers RWJMS), has been appointed president of the board of directors for the Eastern States region of the American Heart Association.
Dr. Lee’s appointment follows his position as president-elect of the Eastern States Region Board of Directors from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023. In his new role, Lee will continue to advance the Association’s mission to build healthy communities free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Including fundraising priorities such as the 2024 Impact Goal. In 2024 the Association will reach its milestone centennial year and will continue to build on existing efforts around removing barriers to healthcare access and quality, addressing issues of nutrition and food security, hypertension reduction, and more.
“I am looking forward to serving as president of the Eastern States Region Board of Directors for the next two years and support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association,” said Dr. Lee. “Through research, medical advancements, public education, CPR training and so much more, we can continue the progress in making sure everyone has the opportunity for a full and healthy life.”
Dr. Lee has been a member of the Eastern States Region Board of Directors since 2019 and has also served as a member of the Northern New Jersey Division of the American Heart Association Board of Directors. In 2018, Dr. Lee was a recipient of the American Heart Association’s Harvey E. Nussbaum, MD Distinguished Service Award.
“This appointment is a true reflection of Dr. Lee’s hard work and dedication towards curing cardiovascular disease in our communities,” said Alan Lee, president, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “Dr. Lee is passionate about excellence in his surgical service in order to deliver the best outcomes to our patients. I know he’ll do great work in this role as the Eastern State Board of Directors President for the American Heart Association and apply that passion to community programming and fundraising initiatives that raise health and change lives.”
Dr. Lee is an experienced cardiac valve surgeon specializing in minimally invasive aortic valve repair and complex mitral valve repair, thoracic aortic aneurysm repair including stent grafting (TEVAR-thoracic endovascular aortic repair), percutaneous aortic valve replacement (TAVR-transcatheter aortic valve replacement). He oversees surgical services at RWJUH and has played a critical role in the expansion of minimally invasive cardiac surgery and services on the medical leadership team for the ongoing state-of-the-art surgical services expansion at RWJUH in New Brunswick.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 640-bed academic medical center that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a nationally-ranked 2023-24 Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s health. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. Learn more at: www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick or www.bmsch.org
RWJUH has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence and being named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers. The RWJUH Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center has been recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association as meeting The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Advanced Certification. RWJUH has also earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification for Spine Surgery; The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Bariatric Services; and The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Hip and Knee Replacement services. The Joint Commission also awarded RWJUH a Gold Seal Certification as well as an Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation.
Contact: Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
(732) 937-856
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