By: Lauren T. Agnew
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and RWJBarnabas Health President and Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Manigan announced a partnership to offer a variety of health care services and screenings throughout Essex County.
The initiative combines the resources of the Essex County Office of Public Health Management and its mobile health unit and the medical resources available through RWJBarnabas Health.
Working together, a robust schedule of outreach clinics will be offered where residents have access to medical screenings, vaccines, information and referrals.
“We learned during the pandemic how beneficial it was to reach out to the public and offer to provide vaccines right in their backyard.
Bringing our mobile health unit and RWJBarnabas Health together is a huge initiative to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing health care access to all our residents,” DiVincenzo said.
“RWJBarnabas Health has been a great partner with us for a long time and we are pleased to come together once again to service our community. Government can’t do everything alone and having RWJBarnabas Health in your corner is a great asset,” he added.
“It is the mission of RWJBarnabas Health to serve its communities and to be their partner in achieving long-term health and wellness,” said Manigan.
“In pursuit of this noble mission, we must be innovative in the ways we enhance accessibility to equitable care.
Thanks to the commitment and leadership of Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., and all of Essex County’s municipalities, RWJBarnabas Health has incredible partners in working to achieve this goal.”
“During the pandemic, we really saw the reality of communities that lacked access to health care. This partnership is bringing health justice into our neighborhoods and linking underserved residents to vital care,” NJ Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.
“The Community Health Survey we conducted last year shed light on the health and medical needs of our residents and the challenges to access health care some segments of our population have.
We see our mobile health unit as having a large impact in bringing health services to residents who need it the most,” said Maya Lordo, Director of the Essex County Office of Public Health Management.
We recognize the importance of going deeper into the community to reach it most vulnerable residents,” added Margie Heller, Senior Vice President, Community Health and Global Strategic Partnerships, RWJBarnabas Health.
“To continue that work, the mobile van extends our reach to more members of the community by allowing us to service those without easy access.”
“I am pleased to support this initiative that will work to provide better health for all our residents,” Commissioner Patricia Sebold said.
Also showing their support for the initiative by attending the kickoff were Sheriff Armando Fontoura, West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney, West Orange Council President Tammy Williams, West Orange Council members Bill Rutherford and Asmeret Ghebremicael, East Orange Councilman Chris James and Bloomfield Councilwoman Jenny Mundell.
The Community Health Survey completed in 2022 provides data on a county-wide basis, but also breaks down data at the municipal level.
This enables officials to obtain a clear picture of the health care and medical needs of specific communities. RWJBarnabas Health also has established relationships with underserved areas and community organizations and is a recognized health care provider.
The County’s mobile unit provides space to conduct examinations and screenings, and offer information and referrals.
Essex County and RWJBarnabas Health have a long history of partnering to enhance the quality of life for residents and promote healthy lifestyles.