University Hospital’s problems festered because of leadership void — and now the CEO’s job is vacant

The veteran hospital executive who just finished studying the management and economic problems at University Hospital in Newark for the past four months is the Murphy administration’s pick to become its temporary CEO. But the hospital’s Board of Directors Monday declined to vote on Judith Persichilli’s interim appointment, and the outgoing CEO has departed earlier than expected, state Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal told NJ Advance Media Monday evening.