What You Need To Know
(Re)Introducing Dr. Lisa Tank
Acting President and Chief Hospital Executive, Hackensack University Medical Center
Dr. Tank joined Hackensack University Medical Center after her training in Geriatrics in 2001. She is board-certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine.
Dr. Tank serves as senior vice president, chief medical officer of Hackensack University Medical Center and chief medical officer North Region, Hackensack Meridian Health. A proven leader in providing transformational, value-based care, Dr. Tank has led innovative clinical programs across multiple care settings in medical and surgical specialties. Her oversight includes regulatory affairs, medical staff, and clinical programs.
As a chief medical officer, Dr. Tank has built a robust department of Medical Affairs. She leads her team in creating a value-based transformative health delivery system across the continuum, with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
She serves as an associate professor of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, an assistant professor of Medicine at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, and an associate professor of Medicine at St. George's University School of Medicine. Her 20-year tenure at Hackensack University Medical Center has included making house calls, practicing at skilled nursing facilities and the hospital, and providing consultative services.
Dr. Tank has served Hackensack University Medical Center in various roles for the past 20 years. From 2010-2017, Dr. Tank served as chief of the Division of Geriatrics and is the past program director of the Geriatrics Fellowship Program. She has served as director of Medical Affairs and in 2016 was appointed vice president, Medical Affairs. She led the way for Hackensack University Medical Center to become the first hospital in the nation to earn a Disease Specific Certification in Delirium, the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal, and the first geriatrics certification of its kind in the country, as well as attaining a level 3 patient-centered medical home certification.
In July 2021, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) honored Dr. Tank with a “Hometown Hero” Award for her guidance and leadership of medical staff through the pandemic — developing critical COVID-19 patient care guidelines to treat the virus and establishing a program for families to connect with each patient via iPads. Dr. Tank also received the following recognitions:
- ROI-NJ, Influencers: People of Color 2020 List, Honoree
- Becker’s Hospital Review List of 100 Hospital and Health System CMOs to Know, February 2020
- Becker’s Hospital Review 105 Physician Leaders to Know, 2019
- Hackensack Regional Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen Award, September 2019
Dr. Tank was recognized as Clinician of the Year in 2016 by the American Geriatrics Society. A fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP), she was elected as a council member for the ACP New Jersey Chapter and represented the organization by presenting physician issues before Congress in Washington.
She is also a certified medical director of Long-Term Care Medicine, is widely published, delivers presentations, and lectures extensively in her field. Her research projects include the IDEAS Study, Imaging Dementia-Evidence for Amyloid Scanning. She was also featured in a Becker’s Hospital Review podcast and has published two articles in 2020 on COVID-19 patient care and management.
Dr. Tank is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Greater New York Hospital Association/United Hospital Fund Clinical Quality Fellowship (GNYHA) fellow, a certified medical director for nursing homes, and recently graduated from an MBA program at George Washington University.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she provided exemplary leadership, guiding team members and developing critical patient care guidelines.
Providing patient-centric care and creating a team-based healthcare delivery model with a focus on patient safety and quality and has been instrumental for our team to achieve US news ranking and CMS and Leapfrog rating in New Jersey, including a 5 Star Rating from CMS; an A Grade from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Guide; a #1 Adult and Children's Hospital Ranking in New Jersey from U.S. News & World Report.
In collaboration with HUMC team members and leadership, Dr. Tank was instrumental in the development of the Helena Theurer Pavillion. At the very same time, she guided our team and helped to create countless critical patient care protocols, navigating us through COVID-19.
The Max McGuire Memorial Garden, in memory of our heroes, and the mural with its message to “dream and work hard” remind us to pause and appreciate the incredible colleagues and team members that we work with.
"It is important to support each other and take care of our team members so they can focus and provide the best care to our patients," said Dr. Tank. "Each of our roles has a significant impact on patient outcomes. We value your unwavering dedication. It is an honor and privilege to step into this new role. Thank you."