RWJBarnabas Health Care has promoted George Helmy, a former United States Senator from New Jersey, to executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer with a multiplied portfolio of responsibilities at the state’s largest health care system.
Helmy’s corporate affairs team now includes External Affairs and Public Policy; Internal and External Corporate Communications; Community Health and Social Impact; Regulatory Affairs and System Planning; Philanthropy and Grants; and Sponsorships and Partnerships.
“This brings our external-facing divisions together to both ensure and enhance coordination and collaboration and will serve to better support the needs of each individual unit,” said Helmy. “Every change we implement, new initiative we introduce and investment we make will continue to be done in support of our noble mission – it always has been and always will be about building and sustaining a healthier New Jersey.”
Helmy joined RWJ Barnabas as executive vice president and chief external affairs and policy officer in 2023 after serving as chief of staff to Gov. Phil Murphy for five years. He left briefly in 2024 for a stint in the U.S. Senate – he delivered his maiden speech in the Senate on children’s mental health issues — and returned immediately afterward.
A former top aide to U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Helmy also serves as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a member of the Rutgers University Board of Governors.
Helmy said the work he’s doing within corporate affairs “is about purpose and shared responsibility.”
“It builds and protects trust, engagement, connection, and consistency across all stakeholder groups,” he explained, crediting senior staff at the company. “RWJBarnabas Health is stronger today than ever before, caring for more people and saving more lives.”