Dr. John Hajjar, CEO – EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

New Brunswick, June 26 – Ernst and Young today announced that Dr. John Hajjar, CEO of Sovereign Medical Services, a multi-specialty patient care organization, received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award in the Health Systems category in New Jersey. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Dr. Hajjar was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick on Thursday, June 26.

“…Sovereign has redefined ancillary medical care for patients throughout the northern New Jersey area. It is redefining the delivery of healthcare by establishing focused centers of excellence, these include ambulatory prostate cancer surgery and ambulatory hip and knee replacements. Sovereign has been able to facilitate its exponential growth over many years by assembling a talented group of medical professionals from primary care physicians to specialists in areas such as urology, cardiology, orthopaedics and oncology…I owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the dedication of my doctors.” (John H. Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA)

John H. Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA, emigrated from Aleppo, Syria, at the age of 13 and was raised in a modest one-bedroom apartment in Paterson. As a teen, he performed volunteer work at Sovereign Health’s Cancer Care Hospital (the Children’s Hospital building is now named in honor of his wife, Sharon and himself).  Dr. Hajjar received his undergraduate degree from St. John’s University, where he met his bride-to-be, Sharon. He continued his studies at The Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1981. He completed his surgical and urological training at the New York University Medical Center in New York City. After spending some time researching the genetic aspects of kidney cancer, Dr. Hajjar decided to focus his energies on clinical oncologic urology and patient care. Since 1987, he had been practicing urology in northern New Jersey where he has developed a reputation as a skilled urologic surgeon. Dr. and Mrs. Hajjar are dedicated philanthropists who feel very strongly about education and the health of the poor and underserved. His many philanthropic endeavors include years of support for Sovereign Health’s Cancer Care Hospital, Dwight-Englewood School and numerous local organizations. In March of 2014, he operated for the last time in order to focus his full attention to the growth and development of Sovereign Medical Services.

Sovereign Medical Services (“SMS”) was founded and is headed by Dr. Hajjar, a well-known expert on healthcare practice management. The evolution of Sovereign Medical Services, a Multi-Specialty (Sovereign Medical Group), Ambulatory Surgery Center (Surgem) and Ancillary Service provider, grew from the vision and success of Dr. Hajjar’s medical practice and business acumen.

Dr. Hajjar is responsible for opening the first surgery center in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in August of 1992.  The center was very successful thus allowing Dr Hajjar to acquire numerous Urological practices and build more surgery centers that were multi-specialty, located in Bergen and Passaic Counties. In 2005 Dr. Hajjar founded Surgem, which syndicated and managed the surgery centers. Today, Surgem manages and has an equity position in 13 surgery centers located in New Jersey, New York City and Florida.

Sovereign Medical Group (SMG) was formed in 2007 to purchase Pascack Valley Hospital, a former 291 bed community hospital founded in 1959. The intent was to create a multi-specialty group to provide quality, cost effective care to patients in Northern New Jersey in the facility. Due to political and legal reasons, the purchase of the hospital was abandoned, but the concept of Sovereign Medical Group remained intact.

Sovereign Medical Services is a leader in the fast-growing Medical Ancillary Services market within the health care industry.  SMS provides the health care professional with management expertise and investment opportunities in multiple Medical Surgical services.  It also provides expertise in managing primary care and multi-specialty practices, with the state-of-the-art information technology systems.  The physician component, Sovereign Medical Group (“SMG”) comprises the core of SMS, consisting of a growing multi-specialty medical surgical group.

Dr. and Mrs. Hajjar live in New Jersey with their three sons and two dogs.

Background on EOY award:
Now in its 28th year, the EOY program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent US national winners include Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani; and 2013 winner Hamid Moghadam, CEO and Chairman of Prologis.

As a New Jersey award winner, Dr. John Hajjar is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Company Boilerplate

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets practice 
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About EY
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News Release

Contact: Paul Angresano, VP, New Business Development
Company: Sovereign Medical Services
Tel: Direct: 201-855-8376 Mobile: 845-242-0290
Email: pangresano@sovmedgroup.com
For Immediate Release