The CEO of the state’s largest health system pledged to hire more Newark residents by the year 2020.

Barry Ostrowsky and RWJBarnabas Health are part of Mayor Ras Baraka’s new push for Newark’s biggest employers to hire more city residents.



The effort, “Hire. Buy. Live. Newark,” aims to ensure that local businesses grow, more residents are attracted to live in the city and more residents are hired by the large companies.



RWJBarnabas Health’s Newark Beth Israel hospital is one of three hospitals in the area, and Ostrowsky has previously been very vocal of supporting the city’s growth, having grown up in the area himself.



“Our mission is to ensure that we do everything we can to improve the lives of the people who live in Newark, work in Newark and shop in Newark. As anchor institutions, RWJBarnabas Health’s Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey will invest in the city and make the vision of the greatness of Newark a reality,” he said. “I am incredibly proud to be among my colleagues here today who represent great institutions when I state that RWJBarnabas Health shall pledge publicly to hire 350 Newarkers by 2020.”



In addition, complying with one of Baraka’s most popular requests, Ostrowsky emphasized that vendors doing business with RWJBarnabas Health have already been told that the health system is “looking to encourage vendors to subcontract with local Newark businesses, to relocate their headquarters or warehouses to Newark and, to have a durable sustainable relationship with RWJBH, these vendors must hire people from Newark,” according to a statement.



The new effort builds on an existing partnership the health system and city have, in which RWJBarnabas trains residents for entry-level positions as well as provides students learning experiences.

