Health Equity
at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Overview
In alignment with RWJBarnabas Health System’s mission to improve the health of all communities of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a comprehensive academic medical center in New Brunswick, NJ, is well positioned to address any disparities in care spanning well beyond its primary and secondary service areas. With innovative approaches in tertiary and quaternary services, we are particularly intentional in scoping various strategic priorities that will address the needs of our diverse communities. As such, expanding our services with a commitment to cultural humility and sensitivity is a reality that cannot be ignored.
In honoring our commitment to our communities, we established a comprehensive model of Organizational Equity that outlines our strategic efforts to support our patients, community, and workforce. This model crosscuts all of our organizational priorities to improve the health of the populations we serve. Our organizational model consists of three pillars:
- Health Equity
- Workforce Engagement
- Community Impact
As an anchor institution, RWJUH is steadfast in its commitment to refine its Organizational Equity efforts spanning beyond the various determinants of health, with an emphasis on healthier communities by increasing access to care, while ensuring an inclusive care delivery model that is patient-centric, culturally sensitive, and equitable to all and a workforce culture that is equitable and inclusive treating everyone with respect and dignity.
Health Equity
The Health Equity structure focuses on access to care for the underserved population, care optimization through population-specific navigation services, a better understanding of the social drivers of health that are specific to our patient utilization, and operational initiatives to address disparities in care and outcomes.
Access to Care
This initiative includes but is not limited to increasing access of care to our populations including the underserved populations while coordinating and facilitating follow-up appointments upon discharge through our collaborative efforts with our Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Care Optimization
Understanding the demographics of our hospital utilization in comparison to the communities we serve, care optimization consists of our community medical program and specialty programs in collaboration with CINJ. Unique to RWJUH Health Equity programs, these initiatives focuses on all community members to be inclusive of the needs that individuals may experience. This program addresses the needs lack of access, and ensure a navigation model that will enhance care delivery and outcomes. by assisting patients with making medical appointments, arranging transportation, support with filling out forms, social drivers of health, and providing interpretation/translation. With a specific emphasis on addressing our navigators build trust and adopt a mindset of cultural humility to treat our community the way in which they want to be treated. The following focus areas are our medical programs that cater to the unique needs of each community.
Clinical & Operational Alignment
We aim to ensure that outcomes are equitable across all aspects of care. To optimize culturally and linguistically person-centered and equitable care at our facility, health equity has been strategically embedded as a key element of our care delivery model to address any disparities in care and outcomes for all communities we serve.
Workforce Engagement
At RWJUH, we are committed to treat everyone with respect and dignity while appreciating and embracing the differences as well as the similarities that exist among us so that RWJUH continues to provide high-quality, equitable, culturally competent, patient-centered care to its diverse patients and communities.
Team Engagement
Our Workforce Engagement efforts are woven into the fabric of everything we do. In alignment with our aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, our employees are engaged through our business resource groups (BRGs) with the executive sponsorship from our senior leaders. Generally, BRGs can provide support for colleagues, promote career advancement, and enhance cultural sensitivity in the work environment. But, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, they have proven to be so much more. These efforts empower our employees, enrich the patient experience, and engage the communities we serve, supporting RWJUH’s efforts to eliminate health disparities.
Community Impact
As an organization, we acknowledge the importance of engaging our community to best understand their needs. In collaboration with the RWJUH Community Health Promotions team, we are engaging members of our community through a Health Equity Advisory Council to gain insights on how we may best serve our community. To support our community engagement efforts, we ensure representation and direct feedback from community leaders through our advisory councils, community events, and growing community relationships. In alignment with our core mission to hire local, invest local, and buy local, we are working with internal and external stakeholders to adopt a comprehensive supplier model that is reflective of our community.
