Population Health and Wellness
According to the U.S. Census, South Jersey is home to more than 2.4 million residents. Its eight counties span rich geography full of multifaceted industries and economies, as well as diverse communities—all of which play a role in overall health, and health disparities, throughout the region.
In this area, WRI focuses on population health, or “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.” WRI conducts research, collects and analyzes data, and translates the findings for use by a broad range of stakeholders. We apply this knowledge toward policy development and program implementation. In turn, we evaluate policies and programs for effectiveness, further contributing to the research base available to decision-makers and practitioners.
Our work connects those who need it with the objective research and guidance necessary to make informed decisions about population health policy and program implementation. WRI is also a sought-after backbone organization with a strong history of facilitating collaborative population health and wellness initiatives.
Current and Ongoing Projects
Community Conversations: New Jersey’s COVID-19 Storytelling Project is a statewide, collective ethnography designed to gather and transform the personal accounts of New Jersey residents, especially those who have faced increased marginalization or greater risk as a result of the pandemic, into the building blocks of a more resilient, compassionate and Healthy New Jersey.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is currently funding a project aimed at examining county health rankings using Bayesian modeling to see how different upstream determinants affect local counties in southern New Jersey. WRI Faculty Director, Sarah Allred, Ph.D., will create a complex model that will illuminate potential factors accounting for health disparities among local counties.
WRI joins the Community Planning and Advocacy Council (CPAC) in Camden County as its research partner, focused on evaluating services and needs.
WRI is partnering with the Cumberland County Overdose Fatality Review Team (CCOFRT) to analyze opioid misuse and overdose fatalities in Cumberland County.
WRI is partnering with Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Cooper University Health Care to help align HeroCare Connect with the MISSION Act.
WRI is partnering with the Human Services Advisory Councils (HSAC) in Burlington and Salem Counties to assess services and local needs.
WRI is partnering with Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Cooper University Health Care as the evaluator on its Integrative Health Care for veterans, military and first-responders program.
WRI has partnered with Rutgers School of Communication and Information to create the Rutgers Community Design for Health and Wellness – Interdisciplinary Research Group (CDHW-IRG).
A new partnership between Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden (RSNC) and WRI has resulted in federal funding for an innovative new program for military veterans to become nurses and provide primary care to other veterans.
WRI has partnered with The Southwest Council to provide strategic planning support for drug and alcohol prevention coalitions in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
WRI has conducted community health needs assessments for the South Jersey Health Collaborative in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties.
WRI is working with Camden County Correctional Facility to plan and evaluate their opioid abuse diversion program, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Latest

SJIPH announces new funding initiative

Community Conversations: New Jersey’s COVID-19 Storytelling Project

WRI Working Paper: Listening, Providing, Evolving