Judith Persichilli

Judith Persichilli (born March 4, 1949) is an American nurse and health care executive and the 22nd Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health for the State of New Jersey. Prior to her nomination she was interim president/CEO of University Hospital in Newark.

Early life and education Perschilli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Her father worked in a leather goods factory and her mother was a legal secretary. Perschilli was one of four children. She has a twin sister, an older sister, and a younger brother. The family was Catholic. Perschilli and her siblings attended Saint Peter’s High School, a Catholic high school in New Brunswick. She served as Executive Vice President, Northeast Division of Catholic Health East.

Awards, positions, and titles Persichilli is one of the founding members of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. She is Director Emeritus of Hopewell Valley Community Bank. She serves as Trustee of Rider University.

Persichilli was inducted into the New Jersey State Nurses Association Hall of Honor in 2006 in September, 2008, she received the Catholic Charities, Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award, Diocese of Trenton’s highest honor. She was named as one of the 50 most powerful people in New Jersey health care by NJBiz in March 2011. In May, 2011, she received the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Award for Outstanding Medical Executive. In June 2019, he announced that she would join the cabinet of the Murphy administration as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health in July 2019.

Perschilli sought to expand gun violence treatment programs.

Persichilli supervised the state's response to COVID-19 pandemic, reporting the number of positive tests and deaths daily. When asked about her personal risk she said, “I’m definitely going to get it. We all are. I’m just waiting.” In an anonymous letter to the leaders of the New Jersey Legislature, employees of the health department said mishandling of the crisis led to many preventable deaths and called for Persichilli's resignation.

Perschilli announced her resignation in July 2023.

Personal life She married Anthony Persichilli. He died in 2019 after 49 years of marriage.