WEST ORANGE, N.J. – Essex County and RWJBarnabas Health have formed a new partnership to provide mobile clinic services to county residents, as announced by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and RWJBarnabas Health in a joint statement on May 3, 2023.
The initiative will combine the resources of the Essex County Office of Public Health Management’s mobile health unit with medical resources available through RWJBarnabas Health.
Residents will have access to a variety of health care services including medical examinations, screenings, vaccines, information and referrals through the mobile unit outreach clinics.
“We learned during the pandemic how beneficial it was to reach out to the public and offer to provide vaccines right in their backyard,” said DiVincenzo. “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.”
Essex County and RWJBarnabas Health have a long history of partnering to enhance the quality of life for residents and promote healthy lifestyles, according to the statement.
Previous joint initiatives include RWJBarnabas Health’s “Running with the Devils” event at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex; an Annual Miracle Walk benefiting the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Essex County Verona Park; providing doctor and nursing staff at the Essex County COVID vaccination site in the Livingston Mall; and partnering during an emergency food distribution event at the Ginny Duenkel Pool during the pandemic.
“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,” said DiVincenzo. “Government can’t do everything alone and having RWJBarnabas Health in your corner is a great asset.”
“It is the mission of RWJBarnabas Health to serve its communities and to be their partner in achieving long-term health and wellness,” said Mark E. Manigan, president and chief executive officer of RWJBarnabas Health. “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.”
“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,” said said Maya Lordo, director of the Essex County Office of Public Health Management. “We see our mobile health unit as having a large impact in bringing health services to residents who need it the most.”
The Community Health Survey, completed in 2022, provides data on both a county-wide and municipal level and offers a clear picture of the health care and medical needs of specific communities, according to the prepared statement.
“During the pandemic, we really saw the reality of communities that lacked access to health care,” said NJ Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz. “This partnership is bringing health justice into our neighborhoods and linking underserved residents to vital care.”
“We recognize the importance of going deeper into the community to reach it most vulnerable residents,” added Margie Heller, senior vice president of Community Health and Global Strategic Partnerships at 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,” said Commissioner Patricia Sebold.
Also attending the announcement event 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.