Distinguished Service Award Goes to Dr. Vincent Barba of Roseland Longtime advocate for people with developmental disabilities to be honored by NJHA
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Distinguished Service Award Goes to Dr. Vincent Barba of Roseland Longtime advocate for people with developmental disabilities to be honored by NJHA
PEAPACK, NJ (July 1, 2026) – The New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) will present the Distinguished Service Award to Vincent Barba, MD, FACHE, FACP, FHM. Dr. Barba serves as chief medical officer and vice president of patient care and safety at Matheny Medical and Educational Center. He is being recognized for his dedicated service to children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities.
In addition to his work as chief medical officer, Dr. Barba leads advocacy efforts at Matheny to inform and educate local and federal elected officials on the importance of quality healthcare for people with disabilities. Most notably, Dr. Barba, in partnership with the NJHA and other organizations, worked with the NJ Department of Health to improve the way special hospitals, like Matheny, are reimbursed for the work they do for the IDD population.
Dr. Barba and his team have met directly with local leaders to advocate for people with disabilities. Dr. Barba said, “Far too often, people with developmental disabilities are invisible and it is up to people like us to speak on their behalf. We need to advocate for our patients to ensure they are seen and heard.” He continues, “Our intention is to help not only people at Matheny but also many others in the community that could benefit from positive change.”
Dr. Barba is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and currently serves on the board of NJHA’s Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey (HRET) CME committee, the Chief Medical Officers and Government Relations Officers constituency groups, and the policy development committee. He also participated on Governor Mikie Sherrill’s transition committee.
Under Dr. Barba’s leadership and, in collaboration with a team of physicians, nurses, direct support professionals and others, Matheny’s patient care and safety program consistently performs in the top decile of patient safety standards in healthcare. Dr. Barba says, “The people who receive care at Matheny are among the most vulnerable patients. Despite this and to the credit of the staff, everyone lives a full and active life at Matheny.” Dr. Barba also led Matheny through a successful Joint Commission survey in 2026. Matheny has been a fully-accredited special hospital for more than 30 years.
Nancy Hamstra, President and CEO of Matheny said, “Dr. Barba is a true believer in servant leadership. I am so grateful to him not only because of everything he does for our patients and employees, but also because his advocacy work has helped so many people with disabilities in the community. I am thrilled that the NJHA has chosen Dr. Barba for this well-deserved honor.”
NJHA’s annual event will take place on Thursday, July 9th at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch, NJ. Event details, registration, and the full roster of individuals and programs being honored at NJHA’s Best at the Beach are available at njha.com/BestAtTheBeach.
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About Matheny: Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a nonprofit special hospital and school headquartered in Somerset County. It was founded in 1946 after Walter and Marguerite Matheny’s son, Chuck, was born with cerebral palsy (CP) into a world ill-equipped to care for children with special needs. Matheny patients have a diverse range of medically complex developmental disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND), and a wide range of rare diseases including Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Cornelia De Lange syndrome and others. To learn more about Matheny, visit matheny.org or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn using handle @mathenymedical.
About NJHA: NJHA is a nonprofit trade association with a membership of 400 hospitals, health systems and post-acute care providers across the state. NJHA partners with its members to provide quality, affordable, accessible healthcare to their communities.
