Podcast Summary: Strengthening the Nursing Workforce at Hackensack Meridian Health

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Host: Laura Dirdo
Guest: Regina Foley, President of Specialty Hospitals and Clinical Services & Chief Nurse Executive, Hackensack Meridian Health
Date: February 7, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on Regina Foley’s insights into strengthening and stabilizing the nursing workforce at Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), one of New Jersey’s largest healthcare systems. The discussion covers the organization's recent structural changes, key workforce initiatives, the importance of workplace culture, the integration of technology (including AI and virtual nursing), future-facing challenges, and opportunities for growth, especially as HMH prepares for global events like the FIFA World Cup.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background & Organizational Transformation

• HMH Overview:
  • 38,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 500+ locations across 8 New Jersey counties
  • Regina Foley: 39-year career at HMH, extensive progression from bedside nurse to executive leader
• Recent Restructuring:
  • Elimination of regional (north/central/south) administrative structures in late 2025
  • Split organization into acute care and specialty/clinical services lines for greater integration, transparency, and continuity ([01:18]–[03:31])
  • “Administratively, now we’ve organized… so it’s really allowed for a lot of further integration, further continuity, transparency of information, timeliness, which certainly… helps us with caring for our patients.” – Regina Foley [02:56]

2. Nursing Workforce Stabilization

• Top Initiative of 2025:
  • Reducing vacancy rates and retaining nurses amid post-pandemic workforce challenges
  • Current nurse vacancy rate is around 4%, with some hospitals below 4%
  • Retention has “extremely strong” levels; agency/contracted labor use reduced by $41 million ([03:53]–[06:19])
• Strategies for Workforce Stability:
  • Emphasis on promoting from within and supporting long-term careers
  • Diverse recruitment and career pathways for local community members
  • Mentoring, tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and bonuses for career advancement
  • “It’s not just about recruiting net new. We want those nurses to stay in the organization, just like me.” – Regina Foley [05:07]

3. Culture as a Differentiator

• Core Values:
  • Respect, appreciation, and value for nurses’ voices
  • Grassroots leadership – senior leaders maintain hospital presence and direct connection to staff ([06:56]–[10:09])
  • “The workforce wants to feel respected, appreciated, and that their opinion counts.” – Regina Foley [06:58]
  • Leadership team comes from clinical and frontline backgrounds, ensuring credibility and authenticity
  • “They always know a faker, right? … what are you talking about? You’re saying this, but did you really live it?” – Regina Foley [07:23]
  • Emphasis on family-oriented, authentic culture
  • Focus on enabling nurses to practice at “full scope of practice and full license”
  • Culture cited as key enabler for workforce, financial, and crisis resilience

4. Leveraging Technology

• Virtual Nursing Implementation:
  • Rolled out in past two years, now active in 147 beds across four hospitals
  • Allows nurses to offload administrative duties, letting patient-facing teams focus on care ([10:31]–[12:27])
  • Evaluation ongoing: “We’re in the process now of evaluating to see, is that something that should be expanded or not?” – Regina Foley [11:17]
• AI Integration:
  • Use of EPIC EHR platform and generative AI assisting nurses with end-of-shift notes, improving efficiency and handoff quality
  • “If you would have said five years ago we were going to be leveraging AI at the bedside, I’d say, I don’t know…now, early adopter. And the answer is yes.” – Regina Foley [11:55]
• Future Emphasis:
  • Technology to lighten administrative load and improve patient outcomes

5. Challenges on the Horizon

• Innovation & Quantifying Value:
  • Biggest challenge: sustaining innovation and being early adopters, while providing measurable “hard” financial savings ([12:37]–[14:26])
  • Soft savings (e.g., better nurse retention, reduced overtime) must be translated into hard financial data for leadership and the board
  • “But now that we have it [virtual nursing], how do we expand it? And I’m going to have to quantify that with hard savings.” – Regina Foley [14:06]
  • Robust push for evidence-based expansion of technology (e.g., robotic surgery)

6. Future Growth & Global Events

• Ambulatory Expansion:
  • Continued investment in outpatient and community services to keep patients healthy outside the hospital ([15:04]–[18:53])
  • 14–15 new ambulatory locations under construction throughout New Jersey
• FIFA World Cup & Community Engagement:
  • HMH is the hometown hospital for MetLife Stadium games; preparation for global visibility and emergency readiness
  • Building legacy sports fields for local youth as a community health and engagement initiative
  • Ongoing fundraising and care support for children’s cancer services, leveraging global attention

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership Authenticity:
  “The team members…they always know a faker, right? Like they can feel like, what are you talking about? You’re saying this, but did you really live it? And…myself, the COO, the CEO have done that. You know, clinicians by background, have literally rendered patient care and came from very humble beginnings.” – Regina Foley [07:13]
• On Culture’s Role:
  “Culture… sets the tone of how you’re able to really move the needle in your organization…quality is at the bedside. How do we make sure the individuals rendering that care know…are we listening to them?” – Regina Foley [09:18]
• On Technology & Change:
  “We can’t underestimate the power of AI…the answer is yes, because AI can really be another partner in helping that nurse or clinician care for the patient.” – Regina Foley [12:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:18] Organizational background & restructuring
• [03:53] Workforce stabilization initiatives and results
• [06:56] Role of workplace culture and leadership authenticity
• [10:31] Technology adoption: virtual nursing & AI
• [12:37] Innovation challenges, measuring impact
• [15:04] Growth via ambulatory expansion, FIFA World Cup opportunities

Tone & Language

Regina Foley’s tone is earnest, practical, and highly invested in the personal and professional wellbeing of her teams. She intertwines operational acumen with deep respect for front-line care, prioritizing integrity, innovation, and community focus throughout the conversation.

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive look at how Hackensack Meridian Health is leading workforce innovation by prioritizing culture, leveraging technology, and creating strategic, measurable progress. Foley’s leadership philosophy—rooted in authenticity and community connection—shines as a model for sustainable healthcare workforce development, especially in times of rapid change and global attention.