Browns Mills, NJ – Deborah Heart and Lung Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Ralph Porpora, MBA, FACHE, CHCIO, CDH-E, PMP, CPHIMS as its new Vice President of Information Services and Chief Information Officer. A seasoned executive with over 25 years of leadership in healthcare technology and operations, Mr. Porpora brings a wealth of expertise in digital transformation, IT strategy, electronic health record (EHR) systems and data integration to his new role at Deborah.

Mr. Porpora’s distinguished career spans senior roles at leading healthcare organizations including Grand View Health, Hartman Executive Advisors, Hunterdon Health and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Most recently, he served as Hospital Systems Director at Grand View Health, where he spearheaded IT advancement and innovation efforts and led improvements in reliability, data reporting and analytics and infrastructure modernization.

At Hartman Executive Advisors, Mr. Porpora served as CIO and Executive IT Advisor. He guided technology strategy for a $40 million multi-site senior living community implementing innovative solutions such as robotic process automation (RPA), Salesforce CRM and new EHR systems. During his tenure at Hunterdon Health as Associate CIO/Director of Information Systems, he directed complex IT initiatives and pandemic response operations while leading major EHR transitions and achieving national recognition for digital excellence, earning the 100 Most Wired Hospitals Award.

"Ralph’s proven track record of aligning technology with patient care goals and his visionary leadership in IT strategy make him an exceptional addition to the Deborah executive team," said Deborah President and CEO, Jim Andrews. "The effective delivery of Deborah’s People Centered Care model is reliant on having an integrated and high functioning information technology platform.  Ralph’s insights and experience will be instrumental to our efforts in advancing not just the quality of care but how people are engaged across the organization.”

Mr. Porpora holds an MBA and numerous professional certifications including Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO), Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Certified Digital Health Executive (CDH-E) and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. He is widely recognized for his success in driving healthcare innovation, streamlining operations and improving patient and provider experiences.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey, is a teaching hospital in the prevention, diagnosis, research and treatment of heart, lung and vascular diseases. Founded in 1922, Deborah has treated more than 2.3 million hearts from every corner of the United States and 87 countries. From performing the first adult and pediatric open-heart surgeries in New Jersey, to one of the highest-volume left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant programs in the nation, Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader overall and in patient care from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It is ranked among the top hospitals in New Jersey for patient satisfaction; holds a top-tier Society of Thoracic Surgeons rating which places Deborah among the best cardiac surgery programs in North America; and is rated High Performing in five specialties, Heart Attack, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, COPD and TAVR by U.S. News & World Report. Deborah is an Alliance member of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

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