Category: Population Health & Wellness

Local Environments and Influence on COVID-19 Mortality

Why is mortality so high in some counties compared to other counties? Is it because of long term care facilities? Population age? Pre-existing conditions? Proximity to big cities? Or is it related to community-level factors, like poverty, race and ethnicity, or community cohesion? A new study led by WRI Faculty Director Sarah Allred and Emily Greenfield, an associate professor of social work at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, will seek to understand these patterns, not just at the county level, but also at the municipality level.   

Preparing HeroCare Connect for the Future

HeroCare Connect is a partnership of Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Cooper University Health Care serving veterans, active duty, and retired military and their families. Since March 2020, WRI, along with consultants who bring expertise on the population and legislative aspect of this project, have been assisting with aligning the program goals with the MISSION Act to become a model of specialty health care service for veterans, active duty, and retired military in the area

Evaluating Integrated Healthcare

Integrated Health Care is a program resulting from Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Cooper University Health Care’s partnership HeroCare Connect (which focuses on veterans, active duty, and retired military and their families) and their independent programs supporting first-responders. Since December 2019, WRI has evaluated this program for efficacy and overall impact by conducting interviews with key staff members from both organizations on marketing, program management, and patient navigation.

Partnering to assess human services needs in Burlington and Salem Counties

Every two years, counties are required by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) to study community needs and evaluate current services using both a quantitative and qualitative approach. This year, WRI is partnering with the Human Services Advisory Councils (HSAC) in Burlington and Salem Counties to assess the strength of current services for children and families and identify local needs.

Timing County Hospital Bed Shortfall during COVID-19

On March 16, WRI released a research brief comparing estimates of available hospital beds in South Jersey with the likely demand for hospital beds under three coronavirus spread scenarios. This follow-up brief updates the previous model and predicts when demand for hospital beds will first surpass capacity in each of the 21 New Jersey counties.