Valley Health System, a regional healthcare system serving northern New Jersey and southern New York, has appointed Indian American physician executive Puneeta Sharma as Vice President for Valley Health System and Chief Medical Officer for Valley Medical Group.
In her expanded role, Dr. Sharma will have responsibility for and oversight of the operations, physicians, and staff of all of Valley Medical Group’s specialties, including advanced practice nursing, cardiology, general surgery, hematology/oncology, pediatrics, primary care, women’s services, and a broad range of medical subspecialities such as endocrinology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology, according to a media release.
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Sharma will also oversee Valley’s Office of Academic Affairs, supporting the Chief Academic Officer in the growth and development of Valley’s graduate medical education programs – sponsored by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – and research initiatives.
“I look forward to collaborating with our teams and ensuring every patient receives compassionate, high-quality care,” said Sharma about her new role to support the physicians and staff across Valley’s many specialties.
“This step reflects the growing scope of her contributions across the health system and her addition to Valley’s executive leadership team,” said Robert Brenner, President and CEO for Valley Health System about her expanded role.
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Sharma began her career at Valley in 2017 as the Director of Palliative Care. In 2019, she was named Chair of Medical Specialties for Valley Medical Group, where she oversaw various specialty programs, including pulmonary critical care, dermatology, rheumatology, and others. In 2022, Dr. Sharma was appointed Chief Medical Officer for Valley Medical Group.
Sharma earned a master’s degree in healthcare management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts. She received her medical degree from Karnataka Medical College in Hubballi, India.
She is board certified in internal medicine with a subspecialty certification in hospice and palliative medicine and is a Certified Physician Executive through the American Association for Physician Leadership.