In mid-July, Shamiq Syed was appointed CFO of Secaucus, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Hospital, which is part of Secaucus-based Hudson Regional Health.
Hudson Regional is a four-hospital system that was formed in late May as the last part of Bayonne, N.J.-based CarePoint Health System’s bankruptcy exit. Before joining Hudson Regional, Mr. Syed served as CFO of CarePoint.
Becker’s connected with Mr. Syed to discuss his top financial priorities at Hudson Regional, including creating long-term stability through operational efficiency, aligning financial systems to support growth, and fostering transparency and accountability across the expanding system.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are two to three top financial priorities in your new role? How do you plan to achieve these goals?
Shamiq Syed: One of my top financial priorities is building long-term stability across the newly formed Hudson Regional Health network. That means optimizing operational efficiencies, ensuring responsible cost management and maintaining a healthy financial position while continuing to invest in technology, talent and infrastructure.
Another key focus is developing a financial framework that supports growth. As the fastest-growing health system in New Jersey — and now the fourth largest — it’s essential we align our capital planning and budgeting processes to accommodate expansion while delivering on our mission of accessible, high-quality care.
Lastly, transparency and accountability are central. We’re putting systems in place that support strong financial governance across all our hospitals to ensure we remain responsive to both short- and long-term needs.
Q: What are some key financial challenges and opportunities you see for Hudson Regional Health in the near term?
SS: In any health system coming out of a major transition or acquisition, integration is both a challenge and an opportunity. We’re focused on aligning financial systems, standardizing reporting practices and unifying supply chain and revenue cycle operations across the network. That’s no small task — but it also gives us an opportunity to modernize and build a more scalable platform for the future.
On the opportunity side, we’re already seeing early benefits from being a coordinated system. Our size gives us greater leverage in procurement, broader reach in contracting and the ability to recruit and retain top clinical talent. Those advantages will translate into improved financial performance over time.
Q: Having previously served as CFO of CarePoint Health System during its financial challenges and eventual bankruptcy exit, what lessons are you bringing from that experience to guide Hudson Regional Health?
SS: That experience highlights the importance of agility and focus — particularly during times of organizational transformation. In changing healthcare environments, the ability to make clear, data-informed decisions while maintaining the core mission is essential.
At Hudson Regional Health, we are building a more proactive, resilient financial structure — one that supports growth, promotes accountability, and prepares the system for future challenges and opportunities. In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the ability to make clear, data-informed decisions while staying grounded in the organization’s mission is essential. That balance — between smart financial oversight and mission-driven leadership — is what we will be delivering.
