Executive Leadership

JOHN P. SHERIDAN, JR.
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Cooper Health System

John P. Sheridan, Jr., is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cooper Health System. He is responsible for the operations of Cooper University Health Care and Cooper’s more than 75 satellite offices throughout the region. He also is a member of The Cooper Health System Board of Trustees. Mr. Sheridan joined Cooper as Senior Executive Vice President in July 2005. He became Chief Administrative Officer in March of 2007 and President of Cooper University Hospital in September 2007. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cooper Health System in February 2008.

His career spans 40 years in governmental service, the practice of law and healthcare. Before joining Cooper, he was a senior partner and Co-Chairman of the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, LLP, which he joined in May 1985. While at Riker, he served for a number of years as General Counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Carrier Clinic. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Carrier Clinic, a not-for-profit psychiatric hospital in Belle Mead, N.J., for 25 years.

Mr. Sheridan also served in the Cabinet of Governor Thomas H. Kean as Commissioner of Transportation, and as Chairman of the Board of the New Jersey Transit Corporation from 1982 to 1985. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, Assistant Counsel to Governor William T. Cahill, and Counsel to the New Jersey Senate Minority.

He is a graduate of St. Peter's College and received his law degree from Rutgers Law School. Mr. Sheridan also served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970.

John Sheridan is a member of The Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees and serves on the Executive Committee of Coopers Ferry Partnership. Mr. Sheridan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, the New Jersey Hospital Association and the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey. He serves on the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey Board & Executive Committee and served on New Jersey Governor Christies’ Healthcare Transition Subcommittee in 2010.

ADRIENNE KIRBY, PH.D., FACHE
President and CEO, Cooper University Health Care

Adrienne Kirby, Ph.D., FACHE, is President and CEO of Cooper University Health Care. She is responsible for the administration and management of The Cooper Health System’s health care delivery operations, including the hospital and physician organization. Dr. Kirby is also a member of the Cooper Health System Board of Trustees. She supports the Board and the President/CEO in establishing strategic direction for the organization and achieving its financial, service and quality goals.

Dr. Kirby joined Cooper in January 2012 with more than 30 years of healthcare management experience, much of it at hospitals in the Delaware Valley. Prior to joining Cooper, Dr. Kirby served as President of Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, a 380-bed community teaching hospital. Franklin Square is the third largest hospital in Maryland and has been nationally recognized for excellence in clinical quality. Prior to her accomplishments at Franklin Square, Dr. Kirby served in various leadership positions at Virtua Health, including Chief Operating Officer of Ambulatory Services and Programs of Excellence and Chief Operating Officer of Virtua Hospital Voorhees. At Virtua, she spent more than 10 years building a foundation for growth, physician partnerships and development of services and facilities. Dr. Kirby has also worked at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was involved in an international healthcare project in Kiev, Ukraine.

Dr. Kirby has served as the chairman of numerous physician-health system joint venture boards. She has also served on many community boards in Southern New Jersey. In 2010 she led the Southern New Jersey American Heart Association's Go Red for Women event.

Dr. Kirby earned her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Rutgers University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives since 2003 and a certified healthcare executive since 1998. Dr. Kirby was born at Cooper and raised in South Jersey.

RAYMOND L. BARALDI, Jr., MD
Interim Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the Radiology Department

Dr. Baraldi first joined Cooper in March 2005 as Chair of the Department of Radiology. He was responsible for equipment upgrade, installation of the RIS/PACS (filmless imaging) and recruitment of 13 sub-specialty trained Cooper radiologists. In addition, he oversees three outpatient facilities and Cooper’s Radiology Residency Program.

Prior to Cooper, Dr. Baraldi was Chairman of the Department of Radiology for Main Line Health with oversight of the imaging departments of three hospitals and multiple outpatient facilities.

He was Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at the Main Line Health System from 2000 to 2001.

Dr. Baraldi earned his bachelor of arts in general social sciences at Villanova University where he graduated cum laude. He completed his medical degree at Jefferson Medical College and his post-graduate residency training at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology.

In 2008, he was honored at Cooper with the Planetree Physician Champion Award for his dedication to his patients and their families.

Dr. Baraldi is Associate Professor of Radiology for the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

GEORGE J. WEINROTH, ESQ
Chief Operating Officer for Cooper University Physicians

George J. Weinroth, Esq., a retired principal in the law firm of Mattleman, Weinroth, and Miller, was Chairman of The Cooper Foundation's Board of Trustees. He is a graduate of Trenton State College, and earned his J.D. with honors from Rutgers University School of Law.

Mr. Weinroth has been instrumental in organizing various fund-raising events on behalf of Cooper, including the Mercedes-Benz Golf Tournament and the Gala Extravaganza.

Professionally, Mr. Weinroth is licensed to practice before the Courts of the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and all U.S. District Courts pertaining thereto. He has been a Municipal Court Judge for Oaklyn and Woodlyne and President of the Camden County Municipal Court Judges Association.

GARY J. LESNESKI
Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Gary J. Lesneski is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s legal affairs. Mr. Lesneski was most recently a partner and president of the law firm of Archer & Greiner, P.C. He concentrated his practice in health and hospital law, labor and litigation.

A graduate of Haverford College and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Mr. Lesneski has appeared in state and federal courts on a regular basis and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. His health and hospital practice focuses on administrative, regulatory, labor, litigation and corporate compliance issues. He has twice served as Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Health and Hospital Law Section, most recently from 2008 to 2009.

DOUGLAS E. SHIRLEY
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Douglas E. Shirley is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the finance function for the Cooper Health System. Mr. Shirley oversees Accounting, Revenue Cycle, Supply Chain, Treasury and Investment Management. In addition, he is Administrator of the Finance and Audit and Ethics Committees of Cooper’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Shirley joined Cooper in 2009 as Vice President of Revenue Cycle, where he was responsible for all revenue cycle functions of Cooper University Hospital and Cooper University Physicians.

Mr. Shirley has had a long and successful career in healthcare financial management, business development and process improvement. Prior to joining Cooper, he was Director of the Healthcare Advisory Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Nashville, TN. Mr. Shirley earned his bachelor of business administration in Finance from the University of Georgia.

LOUIS S. BEZICH
Chief of Staff to the President

With more than 30 years of executive management experience, Mr. Bezich leads a number of system-wide initiatives. He is responsible for the development of Cooper’s accountable care business model, expansion of the sports medicine and student health programs, and provides strategic oversight of the Division of Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine. In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Camden Higher Education and Health Care Task Force.

Bezich most previously was Vice President of Administrative Services at Camden County College, one of New Jersey’s largest county colleges. He was responsible for a $75 million budget and directly oversaw finance, human resources, information technology, public safety, facilities and economic development.

From 1998 to 2008 Mr. Bezich founded and built Public Solutions, Inc., into South Jersey’s leading economic development consultancy. Prior to founding Public Solutions, Bezich had a distinguished career in business and public administration including service as County Administrator of Camden County.

Bezich has lectured and written extensively on the topic of economic development and public management and has been actively involved in programs dedicated to serving the higher education, healthcare and urban development of South Jersey. He is an adjunct professor at Rutgers University’s Graduate Department of Public Policy and Administration.

GARY YOUNG
Executive Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy

Gary S. Young is the Executive Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy for The Cooper Health System. His career spans more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing, statistical consulting and government relations. Mr. Young has extensive expertise in health policy and regulatory affairs in New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree in sociology from The Pennsylvania State University. He also received a master's degree in sociology with a concentration in market research, and held a research fellowship in applied statistics and economics, also at The Penn State University.

Mr. Young began at Cooper in 1985 as Director of Planning and Marketing. He was subsequently promoted to Vice President for Planning and Marketing in 1996, and then appointed Executive Vice President for Planning and Marketing in 2000. He has served as Executive Vice President for Government Relations and Community Affairs since 2001. He has published papers on public policy and taught at The Penn State University, Drexel University and Rutgers University. Mr. Young has been a member of various health care strategy and government relations committees in both the New Jersey Hospital Association and the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, and is currently Chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Council of Teaching Hospitals.

Mr. Young is an active member of the American Sociological Association and the American Statistical Association. He is also a member of the American College of Health Care Executives.

Mr. Young and his family are residents of Cherry Hill, where he is involved in the community and his daughter's extracurricular activities.

BARBARA H. SMITH
Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Operations

Barbara H. Smith oversees growth, management and operations of Cooper University Health Care’s outpatient programs and services—a vast, regional network of comprehensive services that include prevention and wellness, primary and specialty physician services, ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centers. 

Ms. Smith has had successful, 30-year career as a healthcare executive. Prior to her position at Cooper, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – Hamilton, a 280-bed community hospital that is part of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System. 

Ms. Smith is a familiar face at Cooper. She held a variety of management and leadership roles at Cooper from 1984 to 2000, including Vice President of Operations from 1996 to 2000.

DOUGLAS ALLEN, SPHR
Senior Vice President of Human Resources

As Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Doug Allen, SPHR, is responsible for the delivery of all human resources and employee health services at Cooper University Health Care. Mr. Allen has played a significant role in developing and implementing the organization’s culture change toward a patient- and family-centered care environment. A successful union negotiator, Mr. Allen has created quality management programs for all levels of staff and management with emphasis on productivity and customer service.

Mr. Allen has had a long career in healthcare management. Prior to joining Cooper in 2003, he was Chief Human Resource Officer for Hahnemann University Hospital, Vice President/Human Resources for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Director of Human Resources for Health Care Plan of New Jersey, Inc.

Mr. Allen is an active member of the Society of Human Resource Management and the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania and a member of the adjunct faculty of Villanova University.

ELI T. WINKLER
Senior Vice President for Growth and Development

Mr. Winkler oversees Strategic Planning, Marketing and Community Outreach, the Physician Liaison Program and Real Estate Development.

He previously worked for Harrah’s Entertainment, where he focused on business development. Earlier in his career, Mr. Winkler was a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, specializing in economics. He served in U.S. embassies in China and Colombia.

Mr. Winkler has a bachelor of arts from Northwestern University, a master’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a master of business administration from Harvard University.

ANTHONY MAZZARELLI, MD, JD, MBE
Senior Vice President of Operations and Deputy Chief Medical Officer 

Anthony Mazzarelli, MD, JD, MBE, is the Senior Vice President of Operations and Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Cooper University Health Care. Among his duties, Dr. Mazzarelli oversees the Department of Quality and Safety as well as Cooper's Process Improvement Office. He is also Medical Director of the Population Health Institute. Dr. Mazzarelli received his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, his law degree from University of Pennsylvania Law School, and his master’s in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. He trained in Emergency Medicine at Cooper University Hospital, where he also served as Chief Resident as well as Medical Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine. He still sees patients as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine.