Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Saad Ehtisham, President & CEO, Atlantic Health
Dec 17, 2025
Saad Ehtisham, President & CEO of Atlantic Health, leads a dynamic health system in New Jersey. He shares insights from his first 100 days, focusing on a three-year strategic plan emphasizing clinical excellence and sustainable growth. Saad discusses the cautious adoption of AI, highlighting the importance of addressing clear challenges before implementation. He advocates for clinician involvement in technology governance and aims to enhance patient outcomes while reducing costs through innovative practices.
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Episode notes
New CEO Shares System Snapshot
- Saad Ehtisham described joining Atlantic Health and outlined its scale, academic ties, and research portfolio in his first 100 days.
- He emphasized the system's community roots and growth across New Jersey and one Pennsylvania county.
Five Imperatives Define The Strategy
- Saad rolled out a three-year strategy with five imperatives focused on clinical excellence, brand loyalty, team experience, sustainable growth, and financial stewardship.
- He framed the plan as a journey to become a top-performing national healthcare leader.
Start With The Problem, Then Pick Tech
- Do identify the problem you want to solve before seeking a technology solution and define the expected impacts on outcomes, experience, and ROI.
- Avoid buying tech first and then searching for problems to justify it, which Saad calls backwards.