Health Blogs & Reports

The Importance of Language Equity in Chatbot Responses for Health and Government Services: A Policy Perspective in New Jersey

September 30th, 2024|Comments Off on The Importance of Language Equity in Chatbot Responses for Health and Government Services: A Policy Perspective in New Jersey

By Yonaira Rivera and Vivek Singh   In an increasingly digital world, chatbots have become essential tools for delivering health and government services. These trends are only expected to increase in the coming years. However, [...]

Transforming Black Maternal Wellbeing: The Power of Person-Centered Care Interventions in New Jersey 

September 27th, 2024|Comments Off on Transforming Black Maternal Wellbeing: The Power of Person-Centered Care Interventions in New Jersey 

By: Bernice Amankwah As a result of longstanding structural inequities, African American women endure greater trauma, socioeconomic disparities, and stress, and have less access to healthcare and social support during the perinatal period, which occurs [...]

Virtual Schwartz Rounds: Addressing the Diverse Emotional Support Needs of Nursing Community

September 16th, 2024|Comments Off on Virtual Schwartz Rounds: Addressing the Diverse Emotional Support Needs of Nursing Community

By Irina B. Grafova, Pamela B. de Cordova, Jennifer Polakowski, and Jessica Anderson The New Jersey Nursing Well-Being Institute has hosted over 90 Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) sessions in the past three years, offering a flexible, free forum [...]

Best Practices for Improving Traffic Crash Data in New Jersey

September 9th, 2024|Comments Off on Best Practices for Improving Traffic Crash Data in New Jersey

By Hannah Younes and Robert B. Noland   According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), total traffic crashes each year typically exceed 200,000.  New Jersey does not currently provide easy access to the [...]

Transforming Mental Health Care and Addiction Treatment for Justice-Involved Individuals in New Jersey

September 5th, 2024|Comments Off on Transforming Mental Health Care and Addiction Treatment for Justice-Involved Individuals in New Jersey

By James M. Davy, Ph.D. and Momina Chaudhry   A Vision for Transformation With funding from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, the Rutgers-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration and the New Jersey Reentry [...]

Evaluating the Policy Implications and Impact of Health Insurance Literacy Initiatives

September 4th, 2024|Comments Off on Evaluating the Policy Implications and Impact of Health Insurance Literacy Initiatives

By Nicholas S. Imperato, DO, MPH and Kamini Doobay, MD, MS. Health insurance literacy can be broadly defined as "the degree to which individuals have the knowledge, ability, and confidence to find and evaluate information about health plans [...]

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Emergency Department Leaders’ Insights on the Role of Peers

August 8th, 2024|Comments Off on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Emergency Department Leaders’ Insights on the Role of Peers

By Kylie Davidson, Cadence F. Bowden, Hannah Shepherd, Peter Treitler, Stephen Crystal. Emergency departments (EDs) may be the primary, and even only, connection to the healthcare system for significant numbers of people with opioid use disorder [...]

Gaps in Availability of Workplace Emotional Support Programs for Nurses

July 11th, 2024|Comments Off on Gaps in Availability of Workplace Emotional Support Programs for Nurses

By Irina B. Grafova, Pamela B. de Cordova, Jennifer Polakowski, and Jessica Anderson. Are workplace emotional well-being programs available for New Jersey nurses? To answer this question, on April 23, 2024 we launched [...]

Transportation Options for Older Adults in New Jersey

July 3rd, 2024|Comments Off on Transportation Options for Older Adults in New Jersey

By Taylor Hughes. One of the fastest-growing populations in the United States is older adults (65+), primarily due to increased life expectancy and the aging of the Baby Boomer generation [...]

Advancing Perinatal Mental Health Equity in New Jersey

June 24th, 2024|Comments Off on Advancing Perinatal Mental Health Equity in New Jersey

By Slawa Rokicki, Mitu Patel, Patricia Suplee, & Robyn D’Oria. Perinatal mental health, which includes depression or anxiety that occurs during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, is a significant public health problem [...]

Developing Policy Recommendations for a Seamless Continuum of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services for Justice-Involved Individuals

May 23rd, 2024|Comments Off on Developing Policy Recommendations for a Seamless Continuum of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services for Justice-Involved Individuals

By James Davy. In an innovative collaboration, Rutgers University Newark School of Public Administration is partnering with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation and the New Jersey State Policy Lab to develop a comprehensive policy framework [...]

Treating Substance Use Disorders in New Jersey Emergency Departments: A Conversation with Michele Calvo, MPH

May 20th, 2024|Comments Off on Treating Substance Use Disorders in New Jersey Emergency Departments: A Conversation with Michele Calvo, MPH

By Kylie Davidson, Cadence F. Bowden, Elizabeth Mascone, Hannah Shepherd, Stephen Crystal. Emergency departments play a critical role in the continuum of care for opioid use disorder, and New Jersey has enacted a range of initiatives and interventions [...]

Report Release: Can Reducing Learning Costs Improve Public Opinion of Means-Tested Benefit Programs?

May 16th, 2024|Comments Off on Report Release: Can Reducing Learning Costs Improve Public Opinion of Means-Tested Benefit Programs?

By Gregory Porumbescu, Stephanie Walsh, and Andrea Hetling. Means-tested public benefit programs, such as SNAP, are intricate and subject to a large number of rules and eligibility requirements. The high learning costs associated with these programs [...]

Addressing the Emotional Well-Being Void: Insights from School Nurses

May 9th, 2024|Comments Off on Addressing the Emotional Well-Being Void: Insights from School Nurses

By Irina B. Grafova, Pamela B. de Cordova, Jennifer Polakowski, and Jessica Anderson School nurses are responsible for student health and well-being. We piloted our survey among a sample of school nurses and found [...]

Report Release: Senior Connect: A Community-Engaged Approach to Promote Digital Equity for Older Adults

May 2nd, 2024|Comments Off on Report Release: Senior Connect: A Community-Engaged Approach to Promote Digital Equity for Older Adults

By Diane Hill, Ph.D., Donita Devance, MCRP, and Epiphany Munz, B.A. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way that we communicate and interact as a society. Importantly, it highlighted the need for digital literacy [...]

Extreme Heat, Coastal Flooding, and Health Disparities: Climate Change Impacts on Older Adults in New Jersey

April 18th, 2024|Comments Off on Extreme Heat, Coastal Flooding, and Health Disparities: Climate Change Impacts on Older Adults in New Jersey

By Josephine O’Grady. New Jersey is facing a myriad of climate challenges, including extreme heat, heavy precipitation, coastal flooding, and more natural disasters. The state is currently warming faster than the rest of the northeast [...]

Implementing Advanced Primary Care in New Jersey

April 1st, 2024|Comments Off on Implementing Advanced Primary Care in New Jersey

By Taylor Hughes   At its simplest, primary care is delivered for basic or everyday healthcare needs. You may have visited a primary care provider at a doctor’s office the last time you had an [...]

Developing Survey Instrument to Examine Equity in Access to New Jersey Virtual Schwartz Rounds Emotional Support Program for Nurses

March 18th, 2024|Comments Off on Developing Survey Instrument to Examine Equity in Access to New Jersey Virtual Schwartz Rounds Emotional Support Program for Nurses

By Irina B. Grafova, Pamela B. de Cordova, Jennifer Polakowski, and Jessica Anderson. New Jersey Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) programs aim to provide a forum for nursing peers [...]

Sustainable Assisted Living Programs in New Jersey 

March 7th, 2024|Comments Off on Sustainable Assisted Living Programs in New Jersey 

By Ayse Akincigil. Many seniors in publicly subsidized housing need support services like chronic condition monitoring, medication management, and assistance with certain activities of living. Without such help, they risk [...]

  • Photo of a person mostly off screen in a white lab coat holding a clipboard next to a hospital bed where a person is lying down

Opioid Treatment in Emergency Departments: A Conversation with Dr. Alexis LaPietra

February 8th, 2024|Comments Off on Opioid Treatment in Emergency Departments: A Conversation with Dr. Alexis LaPietra

By Jim Lloyd, interviewing Dr. Alexis LaPietra. In the face of persistently high rates of opioid overdose and the very high risks of subsequent adverse outcomes faced by individuals who survive overdoses, New Jersey hospitals are innovating [...]

  • Aerial shot of Trenton, New Jersey, depicting the Delaware River and the Trenton Capital Statehouse

Gathering Insights for a Resilient New Jersey

January 29th, 2024|Comments Off on Gathering Insights for a Resilient New Jersey

By Firas Gerges (Princeton), Michel Boufadel (NJIT), Hani Nassif (Rutgers). Resilience is a critical aspect of building sustainable and thriving communities, especially in the face of increasing climate change impacts. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance community resilience [...]

The Link Between Diabetes, the Heart, and the Kidneys: Implications for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management in New Jersey

January 18th, 2024|Comments Off on The Link Between Diabetes, the Heart, and the Kidneys: Implications for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management in New Jersey

By Heather O’Donnell. For the first time, the American Heart Association identified a new medical condition called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM), which emphasizes the strong connections between cardiovascular disease [...]

Fostering Emotional Resilience: New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute’s Virtual Schwartz Rounds for Nurses

January 8th, 2024|Comments Off on Fostering Emotional Resilience: New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute’s Virtual Schwartz Rounds for Nurses

By Jennifer Polakowski, Irina B. Grafova, Jessica Anderson and Pamela B. de Cordova.   In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the critical role of nurses cannot be overstated. Nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare [...]

  • A group of diverse elderly people gathered around a table smiling and chatting while they work on a puzzle

Enabling Aging in Place: A Vital Strategy for Residents of Subsidized Senior Housing

December 14th, 2023|Comments Off on Enabling Aging in Place: A Vital Strategy for Residents of Subsidized Senior Housing

By Ayse Akincigil, Uri Amir Koren, & Hub for Aging Collaboration The concept of "aging in place" resonates as individuals strive to maintain their residence despite evolving requirements for supportive services during the natural course of aging [...]

A Seamless Continuum of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services for Justice-Involved Individuals in New Jersey

November 16th, 2023|Comments Off on A Seamless Continuum of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services for Justice-Involved Individuals in New Jersey

By James M. Davy, PhD.   Disrupting a Fragmented System The professional staff of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation and other public and nonprofit service providing agencies can attest to the problem of fragmented and [...]

  • A person in a white lab coat holds the hands of an elderly person who appears to be in a hospital bed with wires and tubes attached to their wrists

Healthcare Inequities in Palliative Care

November 6th, 2023|Comments Off on Healthcare Inequities in Palliative Care

By Heather O’Donnell. Palliative care focuses on decreasing the emotional, mental, physical, social, and spiritual distress of individuals with life-threatening illnesses and their caregivers to improve their quality of life [...]

  • Photo of a caucasian hand holding a small orange pill next to a pill bottle labeled "buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual tablets," with a small pile of the same pills resting next to the bottle on the table

Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment in Emergency Departments: A Promising Strategy for Reducing Opioid Overdoses

October 19th, 2023|Comments Off on Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment in Emergency Departments: A Promising Strategy for Reducing Opioid Overdoses

By Stephen Crystal and James Lloyd. As the crisis of opioid use disorder (OUD) spread throughout the United States, the health care system took action to develop new treatments and approaches to treating people with OUD. Although methadone maintenance treatment had been implemented [...]

  • Primary Care Physicians in New Jersey

Barriers to Accessing Primary Care in New Jersey

September 11th, 2023|Comments Off on Barriers to Accessing Primary Care in New Jersey

By Taylor Hughes. Primary care is often considered the gateway into the healthcare system. Primary care services include preventing and treating common illnesses– but that’s not everything [...]

  • A group of diverse individuals participating in a group exercise class

How to Improve Physical Activity Rates in Underserved Populations

September 7th, 2023|Comments Off on How to Improve Physical Activity Rates in Underserved Populations

By Heather O’Donnell. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) aids in the prevention of premature mortality and chronic diseases, such as coronary and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers [...]

  • Risk Perception of Cannabis Use in Young Adults

Risk Perception of Cannabis Use in Young Adults 

September 5th, 2023|Comments Off on Risk Perception of Cannabis Use in Young Adults 

By Sofia Wernyj. Research suggests that the younger a person begins using cannabis, the higher the likelihood of them developing a dependence on the drug. Studies done on states that have legalized recreational marijuana indicate [...]

  • Food Insecurity in New Jersey

Food Insecurity in New Jersey – Policy Solutions and Improvements  

August 31st, 2023|Comments Off on Food Insecurity in New Jersey – Policy Solutions and Improvements  

By Ciera Gaither.  The most recent Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS FSS) reported that 10.2% of American households are food insecure, impacting more than 30 million people. In comparison, 8% of  New Jersey residents experienced food insecurity in 2020 [...]

  • The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

August 21st, 2023|Comments Off on The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

By Julia Snyder. One response to the opioid crisis and the high rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) throughout the country has been the creation of state policies that place restrictions on opioid prescriptions.  These policies limit the duration and dosage of short-term opioid prescriptions [...]

  • Summer Intern Presentations
  • 2023 NJSPL Summer Interns - Sofia Wernyj, Jesskomar Velarde Gargot, Maia Hill, Ciera Gaither, Xiao Liang, Taylor Hughes, Christopher Gomes, and Anisaa Jean-Pierre
  • 2023 NJSPL Summer Internship Program - Josephine O'Grady, Jesskomar Velarde Gargot, Sofia Wernyj, Dr. Elizabeth Cooner, Maia Hill, Ciera Gaither, Xiao Liang, Taylor Hughes, Christopher Gomes, Anisaa Jean-Pierre, and Molly Basdeo Mountjoy

New Jersey State Policy Lab Summer Internship Summit

August 18th, 2023|Comments Off on New Jersey State Policy Lab Summer Internship Summit

The New Jersey State Policy Lab held the 2023 Summer Internship presentations at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy on August 17, 2023. The eight summer interns each presented [...]

  • Photo of a man in an all-terrain wheelchair speaking to a woman standing next him on a trail overlooking a body of water. They appear to be discussing a sign on the side of the trail that identifies local flora.

Report Release: Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities

August 3rd, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities

By Josephine O’Grady. In New Jersey, 24% of the population has a disability. People with disabilities suffer from a wide range of health disparities, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Through the Inclusive Healthy Communities (IHC) Grant Program, initiatives in New Jersey are underway [...]

  • Forever Chemicals

Forever Chemicals: A Hidden Health Hazard

July 31st, 2023|Comments Off on Forever Chemicals: A Hidden Health Hazard

By Heather O’Donnell. Have you ever stopped to think about the hidden health and environmental hazards lurking in everyday products, such as non-stick pans, clothing, fast food wrappers, and microwave popcorn bags? Our society has been so focused on consumerism and industrialization that we have completely disregarded the harmful effects [...]

  • Cybersecurity and Telemedicine

Growing Cybersecurity Concerns for Telehealth Services  

July 27th, 2023|Comments Off on Growing Cybersecurity Concerns for Telehealth Services  

By Heather Butler and Soumitra Bhuyan. Healthcare organizations are increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches, which put patients’ safety, privacy, and financial stability at risk. Statistics have shown that from 2014 to 2022, 14,655 data breaches were reported in the United States [...]

  • Telehealth and Chronic Disease

Satisfaction with Telehealth Among Adults with Chronic Disease

July 10th, 2023|Comments Off on Satisfaction with Telehealth Among Adults with Chronic Disease

By Betia Zeng Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S., accounting for over 1.7 million deaths annually. The total cost of chronic disease totals $3.7 trillion annually, including healthcare costs and lost economic productivity [...]

  • Nursing Burnout in New Jersey

New Jersey’s Nursing Shortage: Burnout, Staffing, and More

June 29th, 2023|Comments Off on New Jersey’s Nursing Shortage: Burnout, Staffing, and More

By Julia Snyder. Across New Jersey, healthcare facilities are facing a shortage of nurses as the profession struggles to sustain its workforce.  About one-third of nurses have left clinical care at hospitals across NJ in the past three years [...]

  • Telehealth Burnout

Telehealth May Worsen Physician Burnout: How to Avoid It

June 26th, 2023|Comments Off on Telehealth May Worsen Physician Burnout: How to Avoid It

By Aakanksha Deoli and Esther Martinez. Telehealth has been found to increase healthcare access, especially among vulnerable populations. During the pandemic, it ensured continuity of care while limiting exposure and kept mild cases outside of the hospital [...]

  • Telehealth and Cancer Patients

Telehealth for Cancer Care: Opportunities and Challenges

June 19th, 2023|Comments Off on Telehealth for Cancer Care: Opportunities and Challenges

By Meenal Gaekwad, Heather Butler, and Soumitra Bhuyan. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant disruption in the healthcare system in the United States, which has increased the demand for telecommunication and technology [...]

  • Youth Mental Health in New Jersey Report

Report Release: Youth Mental Health in New Jersey: Current Status and Opportunities for Improved Services

June 15th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Youth Mental Health in New Jersey: Current Status and Opportunities for Improved Services

By Karen Lowrie and Brooke Schwartzman. Teens of today have faced major shifts in societal, environmental, community, familial, and individual spheres, heightened by racial and school-based violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, creating challenges [...]

  • Reducing Administrative Burdens

Does Reducing Administrative Burdens Increase Trust in Government?

June 5th, 2023|Comments Off on Does Reducing Administrative Burdens Increase Trust in Government?

By Abigail Alcala. Political support of safety net and welfare programs in the United States has dwindled over the past few decades, with increasing sentiment that means-tested programs should be limited and conditional on certain behavioral requirements [...]

  • Medicaid Unwinding in New Jersey

Medicaid Unwinding: What It is and How New Jersey Plans to Address It

May 25th, 2023|Comments Off on Medicaid Unwinding: What It is and How New Jersey Plans to Address It

By Amanda Hinton. As the public health emergency (PHE) ended last month the fate of many Medicaid enrollees still hangs in the balance. The continuous enrollment provision of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act [...]

  • Access to clean water in New Jersey

Community and Climate Dynamics: Projections for Water Assistance in New Jersey and Beyond

May 22nd, 2023|Comments Off on Community and Climate Dynamics: Projections for Water Assistance in New Jersey and Beyond

By Josephine O’Grady. Due to a diverse range of water needs among communities, implementing water assistance programs continues to be a challenge in the United States. In 2016, an estimated 15 million Americans experienced water shutoffs [...]

  • Malpractice Risks with Telehealth

Malpractice Risks with Telehealth: The Do’s and Don’ts 

May 8th, 2023|Comments Off on Malpractice Risks with Telehealth: The Do’s and Don’ts 

By Norelle Saada and Aakanksha Deoli  Telehealth gained popularity during the pandemic as virtual visits became a necessity to limit exposure. It soon grew exponentially and reached a record high, where telehealth utilization increased by [...]

  • Surveying seniors on technological devices in New Jersey

Insights on Ageism, Health Care, and the Digital Divide 

May 4th, 2023|Comments Off on Insights on Ageism, Health Care, and the Digital Divide 

By Epiphany Munz, Donita Devance, and Diane Hill, Ph.D. The World Health Organization (WHO) published the Global report on ageism to call attention to the discrimination that older adults face, along with recommendations for a [...]

  • Maternal Mortality in New Jersey

Maternal Health Equity in New Jersey 

May 1st, 2023|Comments Off on Maternal Health Equity in New Jersey 

By Julia Snyder. The CDC and The National Center for Health Statistics released data in March 2023 showing a dramatic rise in the U.S. maternal mortality rate from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births [...]

  • People with Disabilities in Nature

Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Updated Findings and Implications for New Jersey

April 10th, 2023|Comments Off on Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Updated Findings and Implications for New Jersey

By Josephine O’Grady In New Jersey, one in five adults has a disability (CDC, 2022a). New Jersey residents with disabilities have higher rates of depression, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease than residents without a disability. [...]

  • Telemedicine and the Latinx population

Can Telemedicine Bridge the Health Equity Gap in the Latinx Population?

March 13th, 2023|Comments Off on Can Telemedicine Bridge the Health Equity Gap in the Latinx Population?

By C. Sophia Carvajal and Aakanksha Deoli. The rapid growth of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in ensuring continued healthcare access through the virtual delivery of healthcare services [...]

  • People with Disabilities and nature

Ensuring Access to Nature and Outdoor Recreation: Advancing Health Equity for People with Disabilities

February 23rd, 2023|Comments Off on Ensuring Access to Nature and Outdoor Recreation: Advancing Health Equity for People with Disabilities

By Jeanne Herb. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 21% of New Jersey adults have some type of disability. CDC reports that people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases [...]

  • Youth Mental Health Services in New Jersey

Youth Mental Health in New Jersey: Current Status and Opportunities for Support Service Improvement

January 26th, 2023|Comments Off on Youth Mental Health in New Jersey: Current Status and Opportunities for Support Service Improvement

By Karen Lowrie and Brooke Schwartzman. Childhood, particularly adolescence, has always been marked by challenges, as youth learn to navigate the world. But times are changing; youth of today have faced major shifts in societal, environmental, community, familial, and individual spheres [...]

  • Digital Literacy & Telehealth

Digital Literacy, Telehealth Equity, and Healthcare Access are Interrelated: Here is How

December 1st, 2022|Comments Off on Digital Literacy, Telehealth Equity, and Healthcare Access are Interrelated: Here is How

By Betia Zeng and Aakanksha Deoli The growth and expansion of telehealth services have been well documented since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients opted to use telehealth to alleviate transportation, time, and convenience barriers. While telehealth [...]

  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation

APPAM Fall 2022 Conference: SNAP Administrative Burdens Presentation

November 28th, 2022|Comments Off on APPAM Fall 2022 Conference: SNAP Administrative Burdens Presentation

By Stephanie Walsh In the context of governmental services, administrative burdens refer to the costs and barriers experienced by individuals. When burdens are high, the costs associated with benefit of public goods or services hinder [...]

  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)

Heat or Eat? The Low-Income Home Energy Distribution Program (LIHEAP) and Its Implications for New Jersey

November 17th, 2022|Comments Off on Heat or Eat? The Low-Income Home Energy Distribution Program (LIHEAP) and Its Implications for New Jersey

By Josephine O'Grady. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) is a federal block grant program that assists low-income families with the cost of paying their utility bills in areas including extreme heat and cold, household revisions to improve energy efficiency [...]

  • Stress Levels of E-Scooter Riders

Exploring Stress Levels of E-Scooter Riders

October 20th, 2022|Comments Off on Exploring Stress Levels of E-Scooter Riders

By Wenwen Zhang, Hannah Younes, Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Clint Andrews, and Robert B. Noland. E-scooters are a low-emission and affordable mode of transportation that contributes to environmental and mobility equity goals [...]

  • Behavioral Health Reimbursement and Unmet Mental Health

Behavioral Health Reimbursement and Unmet Mental Health Needs in NJ

October 13th, 2022|Comments Off on Behavioral Health Reimbursement and Unmet Mental Health Needs in NJ

­By Nduka Vernon According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 29% of non-elderly adults (adults below the age of 65) covered by Medicaid have a mental illness.[1] In addition, of all non-elderly adults with mental illness, [...]

  • Opioid Crisis Lifestyle

Intelligent Help for the Opioid Crisis Lifecycle: The Need for an Artificial Intelligence & Informatics-Based Strategy to Address the Opioid Crisis

September 29th, 2022|Comments Off on Intelligent Help for the Opioid Crisis Lifecycle: The Need for an Artificial Intelligence & Informatics-Based Strategy to Address the Opioid Crisis

By Shiya John, Sri Krishna Kaashyap Madabhushi, Nishitha Chidipothu, Jim Samuel. The opioid crisis is affecting all levels of American society regardless of class, ethnicity, gender, or career [...]

  • Senior man video chats with doctor online in telehealth visit

A Second Pandemic: Is telehealth a solution to the mental health crisis in the post-pandemic era?

August 29th, 2022|Comments Off on A Second Pandemic: Is telehealth a solution to the mental health crisis in the post-pandemic era?

by Heather Butler and Aakanksha Deoli The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic engendered a precarious environment that significantly exacerbated existing mental health disorders and triggered new ones. According to Mental Health America, roughly one in [...]

  • Male doctor holding up his hand in a Halt or Stop gesture

Access Issues Still Persist in Medicaid: How Race, Location, and Physician Capacity all Play a Role

August 18th, 2022|Comments Off on Access Issues Still Persist in Medicaid: How Race, Location, and Physician Capacity all Play a Role

by Amanda Hinton Medicaid enrollees of color, specifically Black and Hispanic patients, are less likely to be able to access care because racial disparities exist within the Medicaid program. A 2020 study examined primary care [...]

  • Doctor online, online medical communication network with patient, Online medical consultation, Doctor through the phone screen using stethoscope checks and analysis health care.

Broadband Connection Access: An Essential Social Determinant of Health in the Digital Era

August 15th, 2022|Comments Off on Broadband Connection Access: An Essential Social Determinant of Health in the Digital Era

by Edgar Romero and Anita Franzione Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth services and virtual care rapidly expanded and allowed health care providers to continue delivering patient care. However, it is important to address the [...]

  • Everyone plays their part here. Low angle shot of a group of doctors forming a huddle while each holds a puzzle piece inside of a hospital.

Medicaid Expansion Increased Eligibility for Millions but were Racial Disparities Exacerbated in the Process?

August 11th, 2022|Comments Off on Medicaid Expansion Increased Eligibility for Millions but were Racial Disparities Exacerbated in the Process?

by Amanda Hinton Medicaid has long been a vital program that provides a safety net for low-income individuals to obtain health insurance. In 2020, Medicaid covered 17.8 percent of the population in the United States. [...]

  • Male College Student Meeting With Campus Counselor Discussing Mental Health Issues

Fee-For-Service and Behavioral Health Organizations: Reimbursement for Behavioral Health Services in New Jersey

July 25th, 2022|Comments Off on Fee-For-Service and Behavioral Health Organizations: Reimbursement for Behavioral Health Services in New Jersey

by Nduka Vernon M.D., M.P.H In New Jersey, most behavioral health services for Medicaid patients are reimbursed by NJ FamilyCare–New Jersey’s Medicaid.  NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid reimbursement for a myriad of behavioral health services is enabled through [...]

  • Virtual Telework Webinar And Learning Presentation

Expanding telework beyond pandemics: Potential benefits and challenges for the New Jersey Telework Pilot Program

July 21st, 2022|Comments Off on Expanding telework beyond pandemics: Potential benefits and challenges for the New Jersey Telework Pilot Program

by Jinah Yoo (PhD student), Leonor Camarena, PhD, and Federica Fusi, PhD The growing demands for workplace flexibility coupled with technological advancements have made telework a key element of flexible work arrangements with public organizations. [...]

Telehealth Use among Medicare Population during COVID-19: Advancements in Accessibility vs Challenges in Utilization

June 13th, 2022|Comments Off on Telehealth Use among Medicare Population during COVID-19: Advancements in Accessibility vs Challenges in Utilization

By Heather Butler and Aakanksha Deoli Telehealth use in the United States has skyrocketed among healthcare providers and patients since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of telehealth visits [...]

  • Shot of a senior woman using a laptop to make a video call with her doctor on the sofa a home

Challenges with Telehealth Adoption in Light of a Global Pandemic

May 9th, 2022|Comments Off on Challenges with Telehealth Adoption in Light of a Global Pandemic

Rajisha Shah, Aakanksha Deoli, MHA The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in telehealth volume and revolutionized healthcare regulatory guidelines for its use. Telehealth expanded access to care, especially during the pandemic, and made [...]

  • Opioid Addicition

Using Creative Informatics and Artificial Intelligence to Address the Drug Addiction Crisis in New Jersey

May 2nd, 2022|Comments Off on Using Creative Informatics and Artificial Intelligence to Address the Drug Addiction Crisis in New Jersey

Shiya John, Gavin Rozzi and Jim Samuel New Jersey has a persistent substance addiction problem which must be viewed in the context of laws, policies, and initiatives implemented to address it. The most recent numbers [...]

  • Black female doctor uses a laptop computer to have a video call medical appointment with a patient. The medical professional is working from the patio of her home. Social distancing, Covid-19, telemedicine concepts.

Use of Telehealth Among Essential Workers During COVID-19

March 28th, 2022|Comments Off on Use of Telehealth Among Essential Workers During COVID-19

Mriga Bansal and Naren Gopal Since December 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a significant global health concern. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control [...]

  • the cannabis leaf and judge gavel

Public Safety, Health, and Youth School Experiences: Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in New Jersey

December 13th, 2021|Comments Off on Public Safety, Health, and Youth School Experiences: Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in New Jersey

Charles E. Menifield While the legalization of recreational marijuana will benefit state finances, policy-makers must consider potential negative externalities associated with the sale of legalized marijuana. In a forthcoming report funded by the New Jersey [...]

US Treasury Department Provides Coronavirus Relief Grants to State & Local Government

September 2nd, 2021|Comments Off on US Treasury Department Provides Coronavirus Relief Grants to State & Local Government

Jennifer Spiegel To help Americans recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has authorized the U.S. Treasury Department to set up coronavirus relief grants to state and local governments for economic [...]