Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset recently hosted an all-day forum on “Equity of Care and Fostering Inclusion of LGBTQ Patients” sponsored by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) New Jersey chapter.
Tony Cava, FACHE, president and chief executive officer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, served as moderator for two panel discussions, which included Dr. Shereef Elnahal, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Health; Trina Parks, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for RWJBarnabas Health; Jeremy Pyke, APN, PROUD Family Health at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset; and Jackie Baras, RN, LGBT patient navigator, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
“We were pleased to host this event and bring together health care leaders from throughout the state. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is committed to providing the highest level of medical care to our community, working to break down barriers to care for members of our underserved populations,” said Cava.
In 2017, the hospital became the first in New Jersey to offer specialized primary care services for the LGBTQIA community by opening our PROUD Family Health. The hospital’s Somerset Family Practice provides primary health care services to underserved members of the community, including many families without health insurance. The hospital has also conducted extensive outreach to the Latino community with bilingual health educators to promote early detection and prevention, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset recently launched a Chinese Medical Program and Indian Medical Program to help make it easier for members of the Chinese and Indian communities to access the care that they need.
“We also recognize that there are many social determinants that impact the health of our community, such as access to healthy food and affordable housing,” said Cava. “As part of our social impact initiatives, we have partnered with area municipalities to expand farmers markets and the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables and local food pantries. We recently launched our Healing Homes program, which will provide transitional housing for an individual or family with a chronic health issue.”
For more information about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset.
