Bayshore Hospital's New Executive Director Says It Will Be "A Vibrant, Thriving Jewel" in Meridian System

Anthony V. Cava, the vice president of strategic planning and business development at Riverview Medical Center, is moving into a ground floor office at Bayshore to oversee day to day operations as the hospital's new executive director, and prepare for its expansion as the northernmost facility in the Meridian network.

Cava said he is excited about the opportunities awaiting him at Bayshore. Five years from now, he said the hospital will be "a vibrant, thriving jewel in the Meridian healthcare system." 

"We are still coalescing our long term plans, but in the short term we clearly want to be a provider of choice for the Bayshore, particularly the Holmdel community, as a quality-oriented general and surgical medical facility," he said on Wednesday. 

Cava takes over from Michael Schwartz, the interim executive director. 

Recently the hospital announced a new bariatric center. Cava said there are plans to expand on its wound care and sleep disorder centers. More plans will be announced in September, he said. 

He will focus on expanding the medical staff. "I think that's the key," he said, to expand the medical staff and bring in more primary care physicians and sub-specialty surgeons. Cava is credited with accomplishing that at Riverview. 

In the next five years, he said, the hospital executive team will be looking to capitalize on its location. Bayshore, unlike landlocked Riverview, is blessed with a 44-acre campus. "This provides a huge opportunity for us," he said. 

There are plans to grow the physical plant to offer more services with "significant dollars," said Cava. 

There will be an emphasis on providing a better patient experience.

And expanding services could included more outpatient services, like radiology, he said. 

Cava is 55 years old, and a resident of Wayne, NJ, but planning to look for a home near the hospital next spring. His search includes Holmdel Township. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and a master’s of science degree in Clinical Pharmacy and Administration from St. John’s University, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health.  Prior to joining Riverview in 2004, Cava held several executive and management positions at leading hospitals and health care systems in New York and New Jersey.