As New Jersey’s first-ever public health institute—and the first in the country with health equity as a founding priority—the Center for Health Equity and Wellbeing is committed to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for all. The Center envisions a New Jersey where everyone and their communities have a fair and just opportunity to experience health and quality of life to their full potential.
RWJF co-led with The Nicholson Foundation to develop a plan to advance the establishment of a public health institute in New Jersey. Subsequently, RWJF provided the initial funding support to stand up The Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing.
Acenda Integrated Health incubates The Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing. They provide support with information technology services, financial and accounting services, human resources, marketing and communications, and compliance.
The Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing collaborates with the New Jersey Department of Health and other public, private, and non-profit entities to coordinate and implement strategies in policymaking, research and innovation, data collection, workforce development, and community-based interventions and services to improve the overall state of public health in New Jersey.
This narrative describes the impact a public health institute would have in the state of NJ. It highlights a 10-month strategic planning process that convened a variety of stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services and the faith community to develop a framework for a public health institute.
The Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing, New Jersey’s public health institute, is prioritizing four strategic priorities in its first three years: health equity, democracy and health, trust in science, and public health workforce development.
Under the health equity pillar, we are focused on identifying health opportunity zones, addressing community-selected social determinants of health, and providing funding, capacity building, training, and technical assistance to advance health equity.
The democracy and health strategic priority area focuses on civic engagement and public policy, emphasizing active participation in society, advocacy for health equity, and addressing the unintended consequences of proposed legislation that perpetuate inequities. It will also identify policy gaps needed to address systemic inequities and root causes.
Our trust in science efforts will promote the greater utilization of evidence-based interventions to prevent and manage the leading causes of death in New Jersey and, further, the development of infrastructure to increase access to clinical trials in underserved communities.
Lastly, the public health workforce development priority will focus on bridging theory and practice for new practitioners, supporting cross-training, succession planning, and emergency preparedness exercises for the public health workforce, and keeping the workforce informed about emerging public health topics, changes in evidence-based guidelines, and knowledgeable about innovative practices in New Jersey.
