TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP focuses on nursing’s involvement in strategic planning, advocacy, influence, visibility, accessibility, and communication.
Repurposing of Valley Health System – Ridgewood Campus
In 2024, The Valley Hospital successfully moved from Ridgewood to a new building and campus in Paramus. Since the move, the former hospital site, now known as Valley Health System – Ridgewood Campus, has continued to deliver care with endoscopy; diagnostic imaging; the Valley Breast Center; Valley’s Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Center; laboratory services; the Recovery and Wellness Unit; and more!
In 2025, the Ridgewood campus continued to evolve as expanded services and programs moved into newly designed and updated areas, including outpatient rehabilitation, sleep services, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Valley also opened the Earl A. Wheaton Jr., MD, Family Care Center in the former Emergency Department space. This team serves patients of all ages, from primary care to prenatal, pediatric, and specialty care. In partnership with Valley’s Office of Academic Affairs, the center also supports teaching and training, helping to shape the future of care.
Another new service that opened at the Ridgewood Campus in 2025 was the Observation Unit. This 28-bed unit was designed as a creative solution to capacity constraints in Paramus. It allows observation patients who meet carefully vetted criteria to be cared for in private rooms by dedicated staff, ensuring a comfortable and supportive experience. This achievement reflects a collaborative effort across teams and departments.
Future plans for the Ridgewood Campus include new clinical programs such as a skilled nursing facility and infrastructure upgrades, including elevator modernization, parking enhancements, and landscaping improvements. There are also plans to reactivate and revitalize 10 operating rooms, as well as move more services into the building.
Advocating for Change to Improve Access to Care
Last year, Louisa Ghiberti-Toledo, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, HN-BC, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Electrophysiology (below, left), and Nancy Elmann, RN, MSN, CCRN, CHFN, VAD-C, NP-C, VAD Coordinator and Heart Failure APN, joined the Interested Nurses Political Action Committee (INPAC) to advocate for legislation that impacts how nurses and APNs provide care to patients and their families.
Since joining the INPAC in 2025, Louisa and Nancy have been focused on advocating for the APN Joint Protocol bill (S1983/A944) in New Jersey, which pushes for full practice autonomy for APNs. If passed, the bill would eliminate the requirement for a Joint Protocol, or a collaborative agreement with a physician, for APNs who have more than 24 months or 2,400 hours of experience. Over half of U.S. states have already passed independent practice legislation, giving APNs the ability to diagnose, treat, and prescribe independently. This, in turn, improves access to care for patients.
In reflecting on her involvement with nursing legislation, Louisa said, “Recently, while completing my DNP, part of my curriculum included learning about legislation that affects nurses and nurse practitioners. I attended ANA Hill Day in Washington, DC, last year, where almost 500 nurses from 47 states advocated for nursing. It was informative to speak with various legislators, see where they stood on issues, and review our interests. Nurses and NPs are a large group and need to unite, advocate together, and support one another, so our collective voices can be heard.”
Nancy added, “I have been an APN since 2009, and it wasn't until I went to the NJSNA tour of the courthouse in Trenton that I truly found appreciation for those who came before me to advocate and give us a voice … I learned the process of how to get a bill passed and the work it took to make it happen. One message was clear: It cannot be done alone. You need a team of like-minded individuals to advocate for better practice standards.”
The INPAC is the nonpartisan political arm of the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) that focuses on endorsing and supporting candidates who champion nursing and quality healthcare. For more information about the INPAC, including how you can get involved, visit https://njsna.org/inpac.
Recognizing Nurses for Their Years of Service
In 2025, Valley was proud to celebrate six nurses who reached milestones of 40 and 45 years of service.
These years of service speak positively to the incredible culture that Valley is known for. One rooted in respect, collaboration, community, and a shared commitment to high-quality patient care. Opportunities for nurses at Valley include continuing education, advancement, and specialty training. Valley is not just a workplace, but a place where nurses call home for most of their nursing careers.
Congratulations to our nurses!
45 Years of Service
Eileen Montag, AAS, RN
Anita Quinn, BSN, RN, IBCLC, C-EFM, RNC-OB
40 Years of Service
Ruta Ayres BSN, RN
Eileen Alvarez, BSN, RN, C-EFM, RNC-LRN
Linda Coote, AAS, RN
Lauren Lowenfeld, BSN, RN
Recognizing Newly Appointed Leadership at Valley
Congratulations to the following employees who were promoted in 2025 to key leadership roles:
Michelle Ryan, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CNL
In 2025, Michelle Ryan, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CNL, was promoted to Director of Clinical Services for Valley Home Care.
Michelle joined Valley Home Care in 2013, where she began as a community health nurse. In 2017, she became clinical coordinator, and in 2019, clinical manager. As clinical manager, she helped lead the team through the pandemic. Michelle spearheaded the initiation and implementation of a new wound care protocol for patients, improving clinical outcomes and achieving cost efficiencies. She also helped to create an agency initiative utilizing "PODS" – a term for a group of clinicians that are meeting to collaborate about patients – to foster collaboration, improve patient outcomes, and improve the accuracy of documentation. Michelle received her nurse executive certification in 2023 and attends the Home Care and Hospice Association of New Jersey, and the National Association of Community Health Workers conferences each year.
In her new role, Michelle is dedicated and focused on improving communication and collaboration across entities. She is also focused on fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, and professional growth.
Chelsey Lupica, MSN, RN, CEN, FNP-BC, HN-BC
In 2025, Chelsey Lupica, MSN, RN, CEN, FNP-BC, HN-BC, was promoted to Director of the Earl A. Wheaton Jr., MD, Family Care Center.
Chelsey has been with The Valley Hospital since 2011, entering nursing in 2013 through the Emergency Department’s (ED) residency program. Chelsey became the clinical practice supervisor of the ED in 2018, and manager of the ED in 2021. During her tenure in the department, she led the team through volume and acuity fluctuations surrounding the pandemic and the hospital’s move to Paramus; co-authored two successful Lantern applications through the Emergency Nursing Association; presented at five national conferences; helped form the initial Vibe Committee; and aided in the opening of the Admission Unit.
In her new role, Chelsey works to develop the long- and short-range goals of community-based care for medical services rendered to our uninsured and financially challenged population. This includes the provisions of internal medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics, and an additional 12 specialties. She also assists in coordinating the clinic workflow for residents in all of Valley’s Graduate Medical Education programs who care for patients at the Family Care Center.
Valley Represented at Roundtable on Medicaid Budget Cuts
Sobeida Santana-Joseph, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, OCN, Executive Director of Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, participated in a roundtable discussion on the impacts of a budget proposal that would cut Medicaid by billions of dollars, as well as limit Americans’ access to healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Sobeida joined representatives from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, NJ Citizen Action, and the NJ Black Empowerment Coalition.
Speaking about the bill’s potential impact on patients in Bergen County, Sobeida said, “I appreciate the opportunity to address the elephant in the room about potential Medicaid cuts and the potential impact to healthcare facilities because, yes, people in Bergen County do have Medicaid.” She continued, “Though Bergen County is known for its high median household income and insured payer mix, there are pockets of under and uninsured patients, and it is our social responsibility not to forget about them or leave them behind.”