Henry J. Austin Health Center, in partnership with Trenton Health Team, granted $150K
by TRENTON — The Henry J. Austin Health Center, which provides low-cost medical care, was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Jersey Health Initiatives Primary Care Workforce Innovations Program, officials announced today.
The grant money given to the center, in partnership with the Trenton Health Team, will be used to explore ways to reorganize current staffing in physician’s offices and clinics to improve patient service without increasing costs. Improving care while keeping costs low is becoming more of a challenge due to a shortage of doctors and nurses, and an expected increase in insured patients seeking primary care under the Affordable Health Act, according to a press release issued by the groups.
“This grant will allow us to develop the roles of our clinical staff to ensure that they’re functioning at their highest potential. At the end of the day highly trained staff make for improved quality of care delivered and thus improves the health outcomes of our patients,” said Kemi Alli, chief medical officer at Henry J. Austin.
The Henry J. Austin Center is Trenton’s only federally qualified health center. The center provided low-cost primary care services to about 15,000 patients in 2012. The Trenton Health Team is comprised of the city’s major heath care providers and the city’s Health Department.
Grants were also handed out to six other primary care practices, ranging from the federally qualified centers like the one in Trenton, to private or hospital-owned family practices in New Brunswick, Lambertville and Edison. An $800,000 grant was also awarded to Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., the state’s federally-designated Quality Improvement Organization that will oversee the grant recipients, conduct site visits, customize and monitor staff redesign plans for continued improvement, and other duties.
About the Trenton Health Team
Trenton Health Team (THT) is an alliance of the city’s major providers of healthcare services including Capital Health, St. Francis Medical Center, Henry J. Austin Health Center and the city’s Health Department. In collaboration with residents and the city’s active social services network, THT is developing an integrated healthcare delivery system to transform the city’s fragmented primary care system and restore health to the city. THT aims to make Trenton the healthiest city in the state. Support or the Trenton Health Team was provided in part by a grant from The Nicholson Foundation. For more information, visit www.trentonhealthteam.org.
