RWJBarnabas Health is tackling the social determinants of health by making significant investments in community-based programs and infrastructures to improve and sustain community wellness. Supported by funding appropriations from the State of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health is partnering with local leaders, providers, civic organizations, clergy, and others to create greater access to health care, transportation, food security, and housing in historically underserved communities. Launched in Newark in 2023, this programming is expanding its impact across the state with new initiatives launching in 2025 and 2026.

Our Anchor Mission
RWJBarnabas Health recognizes the importance of employment and economic stability on health outcomes. The system promotes hiring directly through our hospitals and indirectly through the procurement of local small and diverse businesses. Over 15% of our workforce are ALICE hires, and almost 50% of our employees live in communities surrounding our hospitals. We are committed to being an anchor institution and promoting economic stability in our communities through local and diverse procurement.

Community Health Worker Program
Launched in Newark in 2023, with expansion to Jersey City, Livingston, New Brunswick, and Elizabeth in 2024, and expansion to Toms River, Hamilton, Rahway, Somerset, and Monmouth in 2025, this program embeds CHWs in and of the communities to follow patients for a minimum of 120 days to ensure access to care through assistance with appointments, transportation, food, housing resources, and more. To date, CHWs have connected with over 60,000 patients, screened over 23,000 for social determinants of health, and facilitated more than 40,000 rides to access care through UberHealth.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development and with support from the New Jersey Food Security Initiative, we implemented a first-of-its-kind program with SNAP navigators in 12 of our hospitals. The goal of the program is to improve food security and reduce hunger by enhancing access to healthy food and nutrition education for eligible residents.

Saint James Health FQHCs
In Newark in 2024, Saint James Health (SJH) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, opened an FQHC Retail Pharmacy and Food Farmacy as well as a new health clinic at East Side High School, as part of an ongoing effort to increase access to care and improve health outcomes in the city’s most vulnerable populations. In 2025 and 2026, RWJBarnabas Health and SJH will open another FQHC as well as a Health Clinic with food “farmacy.”

Community Garden
Our community garden in South Toms River includes over 100 “earth boxes” used to plant produce. The garden will yield thousands of pounds of produce annually for years to come. The garden’s produce is distributed through farmer’s markets, food pantry programs, and community partner organizations.