Saad Ehtisham
Saad Ehtisham
June 06, 2025
MORRISTOWN, NJ – JUNE 5, 2025 – Atlantic Health System proudly welcomes Saad Ehtisham, DHA, FACHE, as its new president and chief executive officer, effective July 30, 2025.
Ehtisham is a distinguished leader who has guided and transformed health care organizations for more than two decades. His expertise in not-for-profit and for-profit health care organizations encompasses acute care operations, strategic planning and market growth, physician engagement, nursing, graduate medical education, financial performance, and philanthropy. Respected for his patient-centric mindset and collaborative partnerships with clinical leaders, Ehtisham looks forward to many new opportunities to advance Atlantic Health’s mission to build healthier communities.
“Patients and families across our region deserve the very best care – cutting edge treatments and therapies that are as accessible, affordable, and convenient as they are healing,” said Laura Ann Kelly, Esq., Board Chair, Atlantic Health System. “After a comprehensive national search, we are delighted to welcome Saad to our broad community and grateful that his thoughtful, seasoned leadership will now guide our talented team.”
Ehtisham currently serves as Senior Vice President & President of Acute Care Operations for Novant Health, an integrated care delivery network with a $10B portfolio, headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Providing more than seven million patient visits each year, Novant Health’s network consists of 19 hospitals, 41,000 employees, and more than 8,600 independent and employed clinicians caring for patients at nearly 900 sites across North and South Carolina.
“I am honored and deeply grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead a renowned health system that is setting standards for health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area,” Ehtisham said. “I would also like to recognize and thank Brian Gragnolati for his leadership in advancing patient-centered care at Atlantic Health System and for his exemplary service to the health care industry. My wife, Tracy, and I are looking forward to joining our AHS colleagues.”
The naming of Saad Ehtisham, DHA, FACHE, follows the 2024 announcement from current President & CEO, Brian Gragnolati, of his intention to retire. Since 2015, Gragnolati has led Atlantic Health’s clinical excellence and strategic expansion, successfully navigating the pandemic and a transformative journey to value-based care. His 45-year career has been devoted to patients and caregivers nationwide, including service as Board Chair for the American Hospital Association. Upon concluding his CEO duties at the end of July, Gragnolati will transition to the role of Board Advisor for Atlantic Health System.
As Chair of the Atlantic Health System Board of Trustees, Ms. Kelly expressed profound gratitude for Gragnolati’s decade-long service as the organization’s “north star,” praising his “commitment to a seamless leadership transition that prioritized patient care and the well-being of our team.”
In joining the New Jersey-based health care system, Ehtisham will bring to bear his previous experience from around the nation. He formerly served as Senior Vice President for the Greater Charlotte Region and President of Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, where he achieved significant growth and recognitions for clinical excellence from U.S. News & World Report and The Leapfrog Group. Prior to his roles with Novant Health, Ehtisham served as Senior Vice President & System Chief Operating Officer at Central Florida Health, where his strategic planning and operations expertise resulted in bond rating upgrades and substantial cost savings.
Ehtisham has previously held leadership roles at Health Management Associates, Inc. in Tennessee, serving as CEO for its University Medical Center. He also formerly served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations & Chief Nursing Officer for Via Christi Wichita Hospitals & Clinics in Kansas.
Ehtisham is a Board Member of the North Carolina Hospital Association and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He sits on the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association. A trustee of Queens University Charlotte and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, Ehtisham is an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Healthcare Administration Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Ehtisham earned a Doctor of Health Administration from Central Michigan University and graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Healthcare Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baylor University.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 21,000 team members and more than 6,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.
Ehtisham is a distinguished leader who has guided and transformed health care organizations for more than two decades. His expertise in not-for-profit and for-profit health care organizations encompasses acute care operations, strategic planning and market growth, physician engagement, nursing, graduate medical education, financial performance, and philanthropy. Respected for his patient-centric mindset and collaborative partnerships with clinical leaders, Ehtisham looks forward to many new opportunities to advance Atlantic Health’s mission to build healthier communities.
“Patients and families across our region deserve the very best care – cutting edge treatments and therapies that are as accessible, affordable, and convenient as they are healing,” said Laura Ann Kelly, Esq., Board Chair, Atlantic Health System. “After a comprehensive national search, we are delighted to welcome Saad to our broad community and grateful that his thoughtful, seasoned leadership will now guide our talented team.”
Ehtisham currently serves as Senior Vice President & President of Acute Care Operations for Novant Health, an integrated care delivery network with a $10B portfolio, headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Providing more than seven million patient visits each year, Novant Health’s network consists of 19 hospitals, 41,000 employees, and more than 8,600 independent and employed clinicians caring for patients at nearly 900 sites across North and South Carolina.
“I am honored and deeply grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead a renowned health system that is setting standards for health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area,” Ehtisham said. “I would also like to recognize and thank Brian Gragnolati for his leadership in advancing patient-centered care at Atlantic Health System and for his exemplary service to the health care industry. My wife, Tracy, and I are looking forward to joining our AHS colleagues.”
The naming of Saad Ehtisham, DHA, FACHE, follows the 2024 announcement from current President & CEO, Brian Gragnolati, of his intention to retire. Since 2015, Gragnolati has led Atlantic Health’s clinical excellence and strategic expansion, successfully navigating the pandemic and a transformative journey to value-based care. His 45-year career has been devoted to patients and caregivers nationwide, including service as Board Chair for the American Hospital Association. Upon concluding his CEO duties at the end of July, Gragnolati will transition to the role of Board Advisor for Atlantic Health System.
As Chair of the Atlantic Health System Board of Trustees, Ms. Kelly expressed profound gratitude for Gragnolati’s decade-long service as the organization’s “north star,” praising his “commitment to a seamless leadership transition that prioritized patient care and the well-being of our team.”
In joining the New Jersey-based health care system, Ehtisham will bring to bear his previous experience from around the nation. He formerly served as Senior Vice President for the Greater Charlotte Region and President of Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, where he achieved significant growth and recognitions for clinical excellence from U.S. News & World Report and The Leapfrog Group. Prior to his roles with Novant Health, Ehtisham served as Senior Vice President & System Chief Operating Officer at Central Florida Health, where his strategic planning and operations expertise resulted in bond rating upgrades and substantial cost savings.
Ehtisham has previously held leadership roles at Health Management Associates, Inc. in Tennessee, serving as CEO for its University Medical Center. He also formerly served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations & Chief Nursing Officer for Via Christi Wichita Hospitals & Clinics in Kansas.
Ehtisham is a Board Member of the North Carolina Hospital Association and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He sits on the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association. A trustee of Queens University Charlotte and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, Ehtisham is an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Healthcare Administration Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Ehtisham earned a Doctor of Health Administration from Central Michigan University and graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Healthcare Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baylor University.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 21,000 team members and more than 6,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.