CMSRU’s Dr. Kaitlan Baston nominated as NJ Commissioner of Health

Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, DFASAM, associate professor of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), has been nominated by NJ Governor Phil Murphy as the next Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. Dr. Baston's nomination comes as a replacement for Judith Persichilli, who is retiring. This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone, as Dr. Baston becomes the first CMSRU faculty member and first Cooper University Health Care physician to be nominated to this esteemed position.

Less than a decade ago, Dr. Baston arrived in Camden with a mission to launch the Addiction Medicine Program at Cooper. Under her exceptional leadership, Cooper established the Cooper Center for Healing, an integrated facility that provides innovative and compassionate care for patients dealing with substance use disorder (SUD), pain, trauma, and psychiatric disorders. The center's interdisciplinary team of medical specialists in addiction medicine, toxicology, emergency medicine (EM) and emergency medical services (EMS), internal medicine, family medicine, and psychiatry delivers exceptional specialty care across hospital, ambulatory, and community settings.

Furthermore, the Center for Healing has been instrumental in providing hands-on training for CMSRU students. Future doctors undergo a week-long rotation at the facility during their third year, and fourth-year students have the opportunity to take an elective there. Additionally, addiction medicine is thoughtfully incorporated into the overall curriculum at CMSRU, allowing students to study this crucial area throughout their four years of education.

“We at CMSRU extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Baston for her unwavering dedication to both our students and her patients,” said CMSRU Dean Annette C. Reboli, MD.  “As she assumes her new role in New Jersey's public health system, I am confident that her passion for public health policy and her advocacy for patients will be a tremendous benefit for citizens of New Jersey. We wish her tremendous success in this exciting endeavor.”

Click here to read the official announcement from the State of New Jersey.