FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: TOM CASEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS/MARKETING, 973.754.4500
COMMUNITY COALITION RECEIVES FUNDING TO
EXPAND POPULATION HEALTH INITIATIVES IN PATERSON
The Passaic County Health Coalition (PCHC) has been awarded $640,000 to further efforts around
improving the health of the underserved of Passaic County. The PCHC includes St. Joseph’s Regional
Medical Center (SJRMC), Eva’s Village, Straight and Narrow, Harbor House, Paterson School District–
Pediatric Clinic, the City of Paterson Department of Health and Human Services (COP), and the Passaic
County Department of Health.
Paterson, NJ [December 14, 2016] — The Nicholson Foundation has awarded $640,000 to the Passaic
County Health Coalition (PCHC), a collaborative effort between St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center and
a network of community-based organizations, to implement and expand initiatives that will improve the
health of low income residents of the City of Paterson.
“We are thankful for the support from The Nicholson Foundation to expand the PCHC into a thriving and
sustainable community coalition focused on improving the health of the Medicaid population, with a
particular focus on high-need, high-utilizing individuals,” says Kevin J. Slavin, Chair of the PCHC and
President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Healthcare System. “Our model of community-based partnerships
brings a wide range of stakeholders together to promote healthy behavior, improve access to primary
and preventive care, and reduce health disparities.”
The target group for this program will be the Medicaid residents of the City of Paterson who have
significant economic, social and medical needs, which require tremendous coordination of resources to
drive meaningful change. As such, PCHC’s founding members have identified the need to build upon
their existing coalition by expanding its membership to include additional representation of community
members, agencies, and advocates who can increase the reach and effectiveness of program efforts.
“The City of Paterson is an extremely complex, poor, and ethnically diverse community with some of the
most challenging health problems in the state,” explains Charlene Gungil, Co-Chair of the PCHC and
Director of the Passaic County Health Department. “Making improvements to overall health will take a
dedicated group of community organizations focused on the neediest patients.”
The PCHC has identified several Core Community Health Needs for the City of Paterson:
 Lack of access to primary and preventive care for many of Paterson’s residents.
 Health disparities experienced by Paterson’s residents with diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
cancers, and HIV.
 Substance misuse and mental health disorders which contribute to poor health outcomes.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
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Limited access to oral health care, particularly for those who cannot pay out of pocket for
services.
Limited housing and transportation options.
External factors such as unstable families, crime, gangs, and a lack of structured recreational
programs for Paterson’s youth directly and negatively impact on the quality of life in the
community.
High rates of pre-term deliveries and neonates born with complex health conditions.
Disproportionate rates of hunger, food insecurity, and obesity among Paterson’s Latino
population.
The Nicholson Foundation’s grant to the Passaic County Health Coalition is part of its efforts to improve
the health of the state’s safety-net population. “Community-based coalitions like the PCHC help
coordinate a wide range of health and related social services for the safety-net population,” said
Maureen Deevey, Senior Program Officer with the Foundation. “We have been impressed with the
commitment of the coalition members to work together to build a robust organization to better meet
the health-related needs of Paterson’s low-income residents.”
The New Jersey Department of Health, which works to improve population health, also supports the
efforts of the PCHC. “Collaboration and community engagement are fundamental to the population
health model that promotes prevention, wellness and equity in all environments, resulting in a healthier
state,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Cathleen Bennett said. “This award will allow the Passaic
County Health Coalition to drive meaningful health improvements for residents and their families in a
coordinated way.”
As a result of the grant, the PCHC will be able to staff their organization and establish a community
advisory board. In addition, the PCHC will conduct a comprehensive survey of community resources and
use data to develop evidence-based interventions to better address the unmet health and related needs
of the underserved in the community.
About the Passaic County Health Coalition (PCHC)
PCHC is a coalition of community organization’s focused on improving the health of the underserved of
the City of Paterson with a special interest in the Medicaid and Medicaid MCO (“MMCO” or "low
income”) community. The founding members of the Coalition have long-standing relationships, working
together on various community initiatives. Recent activities of the organization are focused on efforts
targeted to low-income, high-utilization populations, such as individuals with Asthma and high
emergency room usage. In 2014, the group organized as a subsidiary of St. Joseph’s Regional Medical
Center for the purpose of becoming a State approved Medicaid-ACO. Although not approved by the
State as an official Medicaid ACO, the group continues to hold firmly to its commitment to
fundamentally changing the delivery of health care services and expanding its efforts to improve the
health of the surrounding community.
About The Nicholson Foundation
The Nicholson Foundation works to improve the quality and affordability of health care for vulnerable
populations in New Jersey by transforming how it is paid for and delivered. The foundation’s approach
emphasizes partnerships and performance-based grant-making; its goal is sustainable systems reform.
For more information about the foundation, visit https://thenicholsonfoundation.org.
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Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth