Russ Molloy, J.D., has been engaged in public policy and government relations for the past four decades with a focus on health care issues for more than 25 years. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Government Relations for Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), the state’s largest health system. In this role, he led all federal, state and local legislative strategies for the health network and was a member of the system’s leadership team.

Russ currently serves as chair of the Integrated Health Care Coalition, comprised of more than forty of the nation’s leading integrated not-for-profit healthcare systems, and remains a founding member and long-time chair of the Academic Health Centers of the Mid-Atlantic. He also heads a consulting firm that focuses on designing strategies for impacting public policy.

He was a founding member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Health Care Advisory Board and the American Hospital Association’s Multi-Hospital Advisory Group and served on the Board of Directors of the Trauma Center Association of America. He was a founding member and subsequent chair of the Government Relations Leadership Council of the American Medical Group Association, and served on the Government Relations Steering Committee of the Association of American Medical Colleges, Premier Health Alliance’s Government Affairs Network Policy Committee and the Government Relations Committee of the Children’s Hospital Association; as well as numerous committees of the New Jersey Hospital Association and other state organizations.

Prior to joining Meridian Health (which later merged into HMH), Molloy led the government affairs office for the University of Pennsylvania Health System.  He served as the principal strategist for all local, regional, tri-state and federal issues. He designed the strategy that led to the dedication of the entire proceeds of the Pennsylvania  tobacco settlement to health care needs in the state.

Molloy was recruited to the University of Pennsylvania Health System following three years as the head of government relations for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). At the time, UMDNJ was the nation’s largest public health sciences university with eight schools and five campuses statewide before its recent merger with Rutgers. He crafted and executed the annual legislative and federal agendas for UMDNJ and served as policy advisor to the president of the university.

Russ served many years in New Jersey state government as a policy advisor to two governors and assistant counsel to the State Senate. He played a significant role in the gun control debate and designed the strategy to protect the State’s ban on assault weapons; which ultimately led to his interest in health policy and advocacy. As policy advisor to the Governor, he also served as liaison to most of the major independent authorities in the state.

A graduate of Rutgers University (RC ’77), Molloy obtained his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He is admitted to the New Jersey Bar and the Federal District Court, and has practiced extensively in the civil arena. A past chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Health and Hospital Law Section, he received the section’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010. He currently serves on the Bar Association’s Legislative Committee. Mr. Molloy also received the 2010 Grassroots Champion Award from the American Hospital Association.

Research Interests

• Health policy
• Health economics
• Public health
• Public opinion & elections
• US Health Care Services Systems
• Political Institutions
• Politics
• Advocacy
• Government relations
• Regulatory affairs
• Independent authorities

Undergraduate Courses

• Urban and Municipal Management