Appointment of Vice Chancellor for GME and Enterprise-Wide DIO, Rutgers Health

August 15, 2025

Dear Rutgers Health Community and RWJBarnabas Health Management Team,
 
Following an extensive national search, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Neil Kothari, MD, as Vice Chancellor for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and the Enterprise-Wide Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for Rutgers Health. In this role, he will oversee a state-wide training environment comprised of over 1,600 residents and fellows, and will continue to build a sustainable, unified GME infrastructure that supports Rutgers Health and RWJBarnabas Health’s (RWJBH) commitment to excellence in education, patient care and community service. His vision for expanding and enhancing GME, positions both Rutgers Health and RWJBH well for continued growth and innovation.
 
Dr. Kothari brings a unique combination of clinical insight, academic achievement and institutional knowledge to this role. He currently oversees more than 50 residency and fellowship programs and 700 trainees as Associate Dean for GME at New Jersey Medical School and has served as Interim Vice Chancellor and DIO at Rutgers Health since January 2024. He has demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision and a deep commitment to advancing the mission of GME. Under his leadership, Dr. Kothari made significant strides in enhancing the structure and oversight of our sponsoring institution, while exemplifying the values of academic excellence, collaboration and service.
 
Throughout his career, Dr. Kothari has earned multiple teaching honors, has been inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, and was recognized by the Rutgers Master Educators’ Guild. With more than 80 publications in medical education and quality improvement, he is widely respected as a leader and scholar in academic medicine.
 
We would like to thank the members of the search committee for their active participation in this extensive national search process, especially co-chairs Dr. Maria Soto-Greene, Executive Vice Dean at New Jersey Medical School, and Dr. Michael Loftus, Chief Medical Officer at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for System Medical Affairs at RWJBarnabas Health. 
 
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kothari on this well-deserved appointment, and in thanking him for his ongoing dedication to our GME community. 
 
Wishing you good health,
 
Vicente Gracias, MD
Senior Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, Rutgers Health 
Vice President for Health Affairs, Rutgers University
Chief Academic Officer, RWJBarnabas Health
 
Andy Anderson, MD, MBA
Executive Vice President
Chief Medical and Quality Officer
RWJBarnabas Health