Since its inception, the Walter Rand Institute has addressed determinants of health in the Southern New Jersey region. Momentum behind this work has accelerated over the last five years, and population health is now a core strategic focus of WRI.
WRI’s impact on population health across Southern New Jersey has grown rapidly. Here is a sample of new projects. In Camden, WRI is evaluating both Cooper University Health Systems’ efforts to improve access to and integrate health services for veterans and the Camden County Correctional Facility’s Second Chance Reentry Program for Adults with Co-occurring Disorders; WRI is also assessing the legal needs of medical clinic patients. In Bridgeton and Salem, WRI facilitated the Live Healthy Bridgeton Coalition and Live Healthy Salem Coalition’s Blue Prints for Action for healthier communities, and is now supporting plan implementation in Bridgeton. Also in Bridgeton, WRI created a plan to address food insecurity. In both Burlington and Cumberland counties, WRI is spearheading county-wide juvenile delinquency prevention efforts. Across the entire southern region, WRI is evaluating large-scale family preservation interventions and is conducting research on several direct care issues such as prevention and early intervention services for type 2 diabetes and disparities in breast cancer treatment and outcomes.
The rising “eds and meds” corridor in Camden, including the recently dedicated Nursing and Sciences building at Rutgers in Camden, will serve to catalyze our work as Camden draws more intellectual and financial resources. WRI is committed to population health in Southern New Jersey and across the state and we are excited for what lies ahead.