Regina M. Foley Appointed Chief Operating Officer of Southern Ocean Medical Center

Manahawkin, NJ - Regina M. Foley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, has been appointed chief operating officer of Hackensack Meridian HealthSouthern Ocean Medical Center. She brings an extensive and successful record of excellence in various nursing and leadership roles within Meridian Health and Hackensack Meridian Health to the medical center.

“Regina is an outstanding leader. Having worked with her in various roles over the years, I am enthusiastic about the new leadership direction she brings to Southern Ocean Medical Center,’’ said Dean Q. Lin, MHA, MBA, FACHE, FCPP, regional president of Hackensack Meridian Health.”’

Prior to being named chief operating officer at Southern Ocean Medical Center, Regina was the chief operating officer at Bayshore Medical Center. During her time at Bayshore Medical Center, the team achieved Magnet® designation - the highest credential that can be achieved within the nursing profession. In addition, the medical center scored an “A” from the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score Initiative for meeting the highest quality standards in patient safety. Under Regina’s leadership, Bayshore Medical Center received one of the strongest improvements across the network in the Great Places to Work Trust Index Survey.

While serving in the role of chief nurse executive and vice president of hospital operations at Ocean Medical Center, Regina was instrumental in the development of Ocean Care Center, New Jersey’s first satellite Emergency Department, located in Point Pleasant. In addition, she led an $82 million expansion effort that included a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Department.

After graduating from nursing school, Regina attended Monmouth University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing followed by a Master’s degree in Business Administration.  While pursuing her degrees, she practiced in the operating room at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, New Jersey and Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey. Her leadership roles began in the Operating Room and continued until being promoted as the chief nurse executive at Ocean Medical Center, receiving the Elizabeth Kellogg Award for Nursing Leadership and selected as Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow. Regina continued her passion for nursing by earning a Master of Science in Nursing and Ph.D. from Kean University.

Regina has been published in many periodicals, including Nursing Administration Quarterly, The Nurse Executive Resource Manual, and Journal of American Nurses. In addition, she has been presented with numerous awards and honors. Regina received the Governors Merit Award for Nursing Administration, as well as the New Jersey State Nurses Association C.A.R.E. Award for Administration. She was the beneficiary of the Point Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Leadership Award was named the Brick Township Distinguished Citizen of the Year, was featured as “Person of the Week” in the Ocean Star newspaper, and had been elected to, and served two terms on the Point Pleasant Board of Education. In 2017, Regina was also named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.