For Immediate Release October 10, 2018 Contact: NJPCA Communications Coordinator, Toni Granato at 609-689-9930 ex. 19 or tgranato@njpca.org CompleteCare Health Network CEO Inspires Employees to Move Up the Ladder CompleteCare Health Network, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) throughout the state, and NJPCA, the association for FQHCs in New Jersey joined together today in support of Train Up Day to encourage career development and workforce opportunities within Community Health Centers. Train Up Day provides a chance to share available positions and job openings for employees to grow within their organization. FQHCs like CompleteCare Health Network have many real-life examples of employees …
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For Immediate Release August 16, 2018 Contact: Toni Granato, NJPCA Communications Coordinator, (609) 689 9930 ex. 19 or tgranato@njpca.org. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $2,076,473 million in Quality Improvement Awards to 23 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in New Jersey. Health centers will use these funds to build upon their 2017 achievements to continue to improve quality, efficiency, and the value of health care delivery in the communities they serve. Awards are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The awards were announced during with National Health Center Week, which is an annual …
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 16, 2018 CONTACT: Chris_Flores@menendez.senate.gov Funding announced as Senators celebrate National Health Center Week WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $2,076,473 in Quality Improvement Grants to community health centers throughout New Jersey. The grants, which are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, are intended to boost care quality and effectiveness throughout community health centers. “Community Health Centers are a critical piece of the puzzle in ensuring everyone has access to affordable health care in this country. By offering …
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2018 CONTACT: Steven_Sandberg@menendez.senate.gov ***VIDEO RELEASE*** Menendez Announces $45.8M for NJ Community Health Centers Senator protects delivery of health services in lower-income communities in face of GOP push to undermine care, slash funding JERSEY CITY, N.J. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, today visited Metropolitan Family Health Network where he announced a total of $45,797,890 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) in New Jersey, including $2,493,164 for Metropolitan. The federal funding …
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New Jersey Health Care Providers, Community Members, and Researchers Come together to Address Disparities and Improve Screening Opportunities for Colorectal and Lung Cancers Challenges, data, education and research discussed at all-day conference May 24, 2018 – Health care providers, community members, and researchers from across the state came together this week at the ‘Conference for Strategic Change’ event, hosted by the New Jersey Primary Care Association and sponsored by ScreenNJ to address screening among two of the most common cancers – colorectal and lung. At the Conference, participants discussed comprehensive strategies to increase screening rates as well as promising practices …
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For Immediate Release May 17, 2018 Contact: Toni Granato, NJPCA Communications Coordinator, (609) 455-8782 or tgranato@njpca.org. NJPCA Women’s Luncheon Engages Health Activism The New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and stakeholders throughout the state joined today for the 14th annual women’s health week celebration at the Women’s Health and Policy Luncheon. The theme of the luncheon was “Health Activism: The Significance of Engaging in Healthcare Advocacy.” Every year, NJPCA hosts this event to celebrate National Women’s Health Week from May 13-19. The week is promoted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office …
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For Immediate Release April 24, 2018 Contact: Douglas Clark, OHI Marketing Manager, (732) 719-9026 or dclark@ohinj.org. Toni Granato, NJPCA Communications Coordinator, (609) 455-8782 or tgranato@njpca.org. Sexually Transmitted Infection Alert: FQHCs and Partners Help Spread Awareness Ocean Health Initiatives, (OHI), the New Jersey Primary Care Association, (NJPCA), the New Jersey Department of Health, and LabCorp hosted a press conference today to highlight Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Month. At the press conference, a patient advocate who was diagnosed with an STI shared her experience. Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling from New Jersey’s 11th district attended the press conference. Representatives from UnitedHealthcare, Amerigroup NJ, …
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For Immediate Release February 6, 2018 Contact: Toni Granato, Communications Coordinator of the New Jersey Primary Care Association, 609-689-9930 Community Health Center Advocates Urge Congress to Reinstate Funding Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) patients, doctors, nurses, and other advocates are in Washington D.C. today for a national press conference to discuss the urgent need to reinstate FQHC funding. The “Day of Demonstration-Red Alert for Community Health Centers” Fly-In press conference was held on Tuesday, February 6th at 10:30 AM. The press conference took place at the Capitol Triangle (outside the Capitol Building). Since 1965, FQHCs (also known as Community Health …
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For Immediate Release January 11, 2018 Contact: Toni Granato, Communications Coordinator of the New Jersey Primary Care Association, 609-689-9930 ext. 19 Osborn Family Health Center Named Newest FQHC in New Jersey Osborn Family Health Center in Camden has been named the newest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in New Jersey. FQHCs are community-based health care providers that receive funds from the Health Resources & Services Administration to provide primary care services in underserved areas. Community Health Centers, also known as FQHCs must meet a stringent set of requirements, including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on ability to …
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Health providers serving patients in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties together received more than $430,000 in federal grants to continue to improve quality, efficiency and effectiveness of health care in their communities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $125 million to health centers across the country, and 23 providers in New Jersey got a cut of about $2.07 million of that funding. CompleteCare Health Network and AtlantiCare were among the state’s biggest grantees. The awards are funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. “It’s great to see HRSA recognize CompleteCare and our approach …
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NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and lead contamination will offered for free to people of all ages Friday at the Eric B. Chandler Health Center. Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the health fair in the center at 277 George St., will also offer vision screenings for adults, and body mass index and body fat calculations, as well as free and confidential HIV testing. Child safety information will also be available. Sign Up for E-News The staff of nurses and physicians will have information on dental care, nutrition, tobacco use, domestic violence, HIV/AIDs. Community …
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Events will take place for National Health Center Week until August 18 in Burlington County and across the state. The health care community and patients across New Jersey and the country are celebrating National Health Center Week as a way to recognize the care and access to initiatives community health centers provide. Across the state, 24 community health centers in more than 100 locations care for roughly 530,000 patients through 1.8 million visits each year, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. About 30 percent of the patients who utilize these centers are uninsured with 55 percent of patients …
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Maritza Rivera goes to a Metropolitan Family Health Network location in Jersey City. The federally qualified health center is where she goes to monitor her diabetes. “It’s close to my job and everything. If you have an appointment, you can walk over here,” she said. Rivera doesn’t have health insurance, but here she’s able to walk in regardless of her ability to pay for the visit. “There are a large number of patients who are uninsured, underinsured, who need health care, so we perform that task,” said chief medical officer Patrick Beaty. “What federal funding is really for, the dollars …
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By Sam Sutton 09/26/2018 05:00 AM EDT Medicaid recipients in New Jersey looking for medicine to treat their opioid addictions continue to face a major hurdle that no longer exists for patients covered by commercial health insurance plans. New Jersey, which is on pace to lose more than 3,000 of its residents to drug overdoses this year, requires patients covered by state Medicaid plans to receive prior authorization from their carrier before they can be prescribed buprenorphine — commonly referred to by its brand name Suboxone — to suppress cravings and manage opioid withdrawal symptoms. That’s not the case for New Jerseyans …
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Bethesda, MD – The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has honored Rina Ramirez, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Zufall Health Center in Dover, NJ, with the Samuel U. Rodgers Achievement Award.  Established in 1977, the award is presented to an outstanding primary care clinician who exemplifies excellence in clinical leadership. It was presented at the 49th annual NACHC Community Health Institute & EXPO (CHI) in Orlando, FL, a national conference attended by more than 2,000 community health leaders from across the country. Dr. Ramirez joined Zufall Health in 2007.  Her vision was to fundamentally change health care delivery …
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $2 million in Quality Improvement Awards to 23 federally-qualified health centers in New Jersey, including the Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, which has locations throughout Burlington County. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $2 million in Quality Improvement Awards to 23 federally-qualified health centers in New Jersey, including the Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, which has locations throughout Burlington County. The health centers will use the funds to build upon 2017 achievements and continue to improve quality, efficiency and the value of health care delivery in the communities …
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Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers is sponsoring free community health fairs in Pleasantville and Atlantic City to celebrate National Health Center Week 2018, according to a news release. Pleasantville will celebrate from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Merle Pavilion. Atlantic City’s fair will be 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot adjacent to the Atlantic County Civil Courts at North South Carolina Avenue between Bacharach Boulevard and Arctic Avenue. Both events include free backpack giveaways, health screenings, a health fair with community partners, free food and entertainment such as face painting, photo booths and bouncy houses, the …
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VINELAND, N.J. – Residents in Cumberland County got to enjoy a fun event that was all about staying healthy. On Tuesday, August 14th, Complete Care Health Network in Vineland hosted its Community Health Fair in partnership with the Henry Schein Cares’ flagship program Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities. Officials say the goal of the event is to help raise awareness in the community about the various health-care services available throughout the area. “We’re trying to really drive a ton of energy, we want people to be pumped and excited, we want people to be healthy so that’s really the goal,” said …
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Newark Health Centers Working to Reduce Health Disparities Lilo H. Stainton | May 24, 2018 Addressing the massive gaps in maternal health and infant mortality between black and white women and children Dr. Pamela Clarke, president and CEO of Newark Community Health Centers, standing at left. Jill Wodnick, a trained doula and nationally recognized birthing expert, is standing at right. Federally funded health clinics in Newark face significant challenges in caring for the minds and bodies of some of the least healthy residents in New Jersey, all with limited resources. But that hasn’t weakened the resolve of the system’s leaders, …
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http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/naacp-honors-tyner-community-members-during-annual-awards-breakfast/article_bb9e5637-b941-5f17-93d5-fd27bb94d2a8.html The Atlantic City Branch of the NAACP honored several business and community leaders Saturday during the 46th annual Freedom Fund breakfast. With recognition from the state senate, legislator, county freeholders and Atlantic City, six individuals received awards for their work in the fields of business, education, health, environmental protection and community service. Each award recipient echoed the event’s theme “We Will Not Be Silent,” with a continued call for community members to support and encourage one another, as they were encouraged to succeed in their fields. Mary Abdur-Rasheed, of Serenity Funeral Homes, and Wasseem Boraie, of Boraie Development, LLC …
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HRSA awards $200 million to health centers nationwide to tackle mental health and fight the opioid overdose crisis Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded more than $200 million to 1,178 health centers and 13 rural health organizations in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin to increase access to substance abuse and mental health services. “No corner of our country, from rural areas to urban centers, has escaped the scourge of the opioid crisis,” said HHS Secretary Tom Price, M.D. “The Trump Administration is taking strong, decisive action …
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At a time when access to healthcare seems to many people to be threatened, Metropolitan Family Health Network – which serves many of the underprivileged throughout Hudson County – will hold its annual summer party to highlight its services. The Republican Congress is actively seeking to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act (known as Obamacare,) which according to local leaders could leave many people without health insurance. For many of the neediest in the county, MFHN may be the answer, since payment for services is based on income and determined by a sliding scale. To make people aware of these …
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SAMHSA is announcing the availability of up to $4.7 million for Improving Access to Overdose Treatment grants Monday, April 9, 2018 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for Improving Access to Overdose Treatment (Short Title: OD Treatment Access) grants totaling up to $4.7 million over the next five years. SAMHSA will award OD Treatment Access funds to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), Opioid Treatment Programs, or practitioners who have a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to expand access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs or devices for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid …
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Source: NJSPOTLIGHT State Expands Access to Hepatitis-C Drugs for Medicaid Patients Lilo H. Stainton | April 2, 2018 Proposed rule change would allow patients to receive treatment before they exhibit some degree of liver damage Medicaid patients suffering from hepatitis C could soon get coverage for potentially life-saving medications — before they suffer serious liver damage — thanks to a policy change and new funding the Murphy administration said brings New Jersey’s program in line with those in neighboring states. New Jersey officials have proposed a rule change that would enable those individuals to access drugs that can potentially cure …
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NACHC has released a new, data-driven issue brief showcasing how health centers have responded to a rapidly growing need for substance use disorder (SUD) services over the past two decades. The brief, Rising to the Challenge: Community Health Centers are Making Substance Use Treatment More Accessible than Ever, shows how health centers across the nation are breaking down barriers to care, integrating behavioral health with primary care, and providing community-level solutions to towns and cities hit hardest by substance use disorder, including opioids. The brief also lays out important policy supports to build on health centers’ important contributions to battling …
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HRSA Health Center Program Quality Leader Recognition As part of HRSA’s commitment to recognize clinical quality, HRSA is issuing Health Center Quality Certificates to the 47 health centers that achieved National Quality Leader recognition and the 393 health centers that achieved Health Center Quality Leader recognition. Click here to read more …
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Statement from HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar “President Trump is laying out bold actions, ambitious goals, and historic investment to stop the opioid crisis in its tracks. The administration’s three-point plan unveiled today will prevent Americans from falling into addiction, reduce the supply of illicit drugs coming into this country, and provide treatment for those struggling with opioid addiction.” Statement from HHS Region II (NY, NJ, PR, VI) by Dennis E. González, Acting Regional Director & Executive Officer NJ “New Jersey has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic – it’s one of the top twenty states in per capita …
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Community Health Center funding has been restored! …
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Wondering what happens after 80% by 2018? Read the “Beyond 2018 FAQs” to learn how NCCRT is charting the course for our work to increase colorectal screening beyond 2018, including how the 80% by 2018 pledge has recently been changed to the 80% Pledge to reflect our intention to continue our efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening to 80% or higher across the nation after the 80% by 2018 initiative concludes on December 31st, 2018 …
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A couple waits for an appointment at the Community Health Center of NE Wetzel County March 22, 2017 in Burton, West Virginia. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images For several months, the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was in limbo. Its budget expired and Congress took no action to reauthorize it. Then, relief came as part of the bill that ended the government shutdown last week. But the future of another vital health service remains uncertain. The more than 10,000 community health centers that treat low-income Americans have not seen a funding reauthorization. The centers, funded by the Affordable Care Act, retain bipartisan …
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December 14, 2017December 14, 2017 | by Gerrard Jolly Even before the expiration of the Community Health Centers Fund, workforce shortages posed a challenge for health centers. A 2016 NACHC survey found that almost all health centers were experiencing at least one clinical vacancy and more than two-thirds were recruiting for at least one family physician. To combat this problem, NACHC is working with several colleges and universities to expand online education and training opportunities for health center staff. Through these partnerships, staff at NACHC member health centers are now eligible for tuition discounts of up to 25% for a …
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