A Message From Phillip W. Heath – Samaritan President and CEO 

Greetings, I am Phillip W. Heath, and I now have the privilege of serving as Samaritan’s President and Chief Executive Officer. While new to my role, I have been committed to Samaritan since 2018, as a Trustee and Board Chair for the past four years. I am extremely proud of Samaritan’s legacy of service in the South Jersey community, and I look forward to working with our Samaritan team to expand and enhance our life-enhancing care options over the coming years.  

Samaritan has built a reputation of providing the highest quality care in the region. I will continue working with our Samaritan team to diversify our services and help more people in more ways. We are committed to improve health equity for more diverse patients with care that honors their goals, wishes, and values. We will partner in our communities with faith-based organizations and with other providers to support those who are struggling with social determinants of health. And, we will continue to expand our palliative and primary care services and focus on education, advocacy, and community engagement.  

Over the next few weeks and months, I intend to focus on several priorities: 

• People – by taking time to listen to all our stakeholders and “seek first to understand.” 
• Affiliations & Partnerships – by deepening our community and healthcare relationships. 
• Optimizing service, technology, and growth – by raising the level of dialogue and acceptance of serious illness care in South Jersey and beyond. 

I remember when I started my hospice career 31 years ago. I could not have imagined the places I would go, serving the most vulnerable patient population at end of life. I embraced our mission of service to provide “what the patient wants and what the patient needs.” That priority continues to ring true for me today.  

I sincerely thank the Samaritan Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve in my new role. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mary Ann for her contributions to Samaritan over the past 25 years that have positioned Samaritan to successfully move into the future. 

Now – as we look to the future, I am excited to work with our Samaritan staff and volunteers, donors and community partners to ensure the fulfillment of our Samaritan mission to provide extraordinary compassion and professional expertise to help our patients, clients, and those who care about them, live their best life every day. 

With appreciation, 

Sincerely,
Phillip W. Heath
President/CEO