Medical Spotlight: Allen Khademi, MD Vice President of Medical Affairs

Allen Khademi, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Christian Health, oversees the entire team of physicians and allied health professionals at the organization, which is comprised of over 100 providers across the vast continuum of our senior care and mental health services, and plays an instrumental role in our mission to provide patient-centered care.

“Christian Health is blessed to have a strong medical staff committed to delivering quality care to our residents and patients,” said Stephen Dumke, LNHA, FACHE, Executive Vice President and COO. “Dr. Khademi’s leadership in the development of care and services and the expansion of clinical programming has been critical to our ongoing success. He is an excellent provider who works diligently to ensure that all areas of our patients’ care and well-being are being addressed.”

Dr. Khademi’s leadership extends over a wide spectrum of clinical operations, including quality assurance and performance improvement, the oversight of infection-prevention and control measures, patient safety, engagement with hospital systems and other colleagues in the community, and programmatic development and strategic growth.

Aside from being a pivotal leader across our organization, Dr. Khademi provides direct clinical care in his specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation for patients and residents with rehabilitative and associated pain-management needs.

Dr. Khademi received his Bachelor of Arts with high honors and his Phi Beta Kappa membership from Rutgers University. He graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and then returned to New Jersey to complete his internship at Hackensack University Medical Center and his Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency training at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. He has held several physician leadership positions in acute hospitals and skilled-nursing care centers since 2004.

What are your thoughts on how the long-term care industry has changed?
The COVID-19 pandemic has enhanced our need to continuously focus on infection prevention and control measures to protect and care for our patients and residents. Because hospitals are expected to discharge patients sooner than in the past, we are challenged with taking care of patients with a higher acuity of illness. At Christian Health, we have a strong infrastructure and an excellent interdisciplinary staff to meet both of these challenges toward providing the highest quality of care and an excellent patient experience.

Where do you hope to see Christian Health in the future of long-term care?
I hope that we continue to be a leader in our region and state for senior care and behavioral health services and industry best practices. It’s exciting to watch Christian Health grow in our scope and capacity to provide excellent care for more individuals that need it.

What do you think is the most important aspect of patient experience?
Our mission at Christian Health is to provide compassionate care: ensuring that we are always listening to and thoroughly addressing individuals’ needs and concerns, clearly communicating with them and their loved ones, and involving them and their wishes in every step of their care. Christian Health is such a special organization because each member of our team truly cares about the patient experience. It is truly a joy to be able to serve patients and their families in this way and work closely with our entire interdisciplinary team in doing so.

What do you hope Christian Health will accomplish in the coming years, especially regarding patient experience?
I want to see Christian Health continue to evolve and grow – to see our patients, residents, and clients and their families consistently have a very positive, nurturing experience throughout their healing process.