LifeBridge Health announced Wednesday, Dec. 17, that Jennifer Nickoles will become the Baltimore-based health system’s next president and chief executive officer. She will assume the role on Mar. 1.
Nickoles succeeds Neil M. Meltzer, who will retire after serving 13 years in the position.
Nickoles and Meltzer will work together during the transitional period, with Meltzer retiring next June.
Nickoles joins LifeBridge Health after serving as president of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for the past three years. For nearly three decades, she has worked at Johns Hopkins Medicine in a variety of operational and leadership roles.
“It is an extraordinary honor to join LifeBridge Health as its next CEO,” she said. “This is a moment of profound transformation in health care, and LifeBridge Health is uniquely positioned to lead, not just through clinical excellence but through a deep and lasting commitment to access, innovation and community. I’m inspired by the strength of this organization and energized by the opportunity to shape its next chapter alongside such talented and mission-driven teams.”
Said Lee Coplan, chair of LifeBridge Health’s board of directors: “We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Nickoles as LifeBridge Health’s new president and CEO. Her vast and varied experience in health system operations — including strategic planning, system integration and practice management, as well as her vision as a catalyst for progress and patient-centered, community-focused care — made her the outstanding choice to lead LifeBridge Health into the future.”
Nickoles will become the third CEO in the health system’s 27-year history, and its first female CEO.
LifeBridge Health was formed in 1998 with the merger of the Sinai Health System and Northwest Hospital. It has grown into an integrated community-focused health care system with five hospitals, hundreds of physician offices, more than 14,000 employees and a wide range of programs and services, from urgent care and hospice to senior living and a fitness center.
“At LifeBridge Health, we know that good health extends beyond just medical care, and we are very proud of our history in addressing complex health challenges through innovative, community-focused initiatives,” said Meltzer. “In meeting with Jennifer, I was impressed with the breadth of her health care experience and encouraged by her focus on community health, her embrace of digital solutions and her commitment to supporting and growing our workforce, as our team members are truly the heart of our organization,”
In 2000, Nickoles — the daughter of an architect and an early childhood educator — earned her bachelor of science degree in business and management from Johns Hopkins University, where she was recognized as first in her class. In 2009, she earned her master of science degree in real estate from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
Nickoles also completed the Leading Transformation for Value-based Health Care executive program through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a Carol Emmott Fellow.
Nickloles serves on several community boards and associations, including the Helping Up Mission, the Southeast Community Development Corporation and the Maryland Science Center. In addition, she volunteers on the executive leadership team of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign and was a past co-chair of the committee.
Nickoles lives in Baltimore County with her husband. They have four adult sons.
“We were impressed by Jennifer’s diverse background, skills and experience, as well as her understanding of Maryland’s unique health care landscape and challenges facing all health systems,” said Jeffrey A. Wothers, vice chair of LifeBridge Health’s board of directors and chair of the CEO search committee. “We are excited to have her on board as we write the next chapter for our health system,”
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