News & Announcements

City Partnership with Henry J. Austin Health Center Gives Residents Access to More Services

A shared-services agreement between the city’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Henry J. Austin Health Center (HJAHC) will ensure that city residents have continued access to high-quality, comprehensive, integrated medical care, Mayor Eric Jackson announced today.

“This agreement makes certain that individuals, families and children have uninterrupted access to critical health care, such as pediatric care services, including help with substance abuse and nutritional counseling,” said Mayor Jackson. “Henry J. Austin Health Center provides myriad medical services, including dental care, and has been doing so for many years.”

In the last two years, health-care professionals volunteered their time at the city’s 218 North Broad Street clinic to provide choice medical services, such as childhood immunizations, general physicals and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Patients with health issues beyond the clinic’s capabilities were referred to primary care physicians. With this new agreement, patients currently under the clinic’s care will see a vast increase in care and services at the Henry J. Austin Health Center.

Since 1969, Henry J. Austin Health Center has provided comprehensive health-care services to the Trenton community, and, according to Dr. Kemi Alli, recently established a pharmacy at its North Warren Street facility.

“Patients who were formally seen by health-care volunteers organized by the city will now have access to a wider variety of health care professionals, including social workers, dentists, optometrists, clinical pharmacists, nutritionists and more,” said Dr. Alli. “We are capable of treating the whole patient with comprehensive, integrated care.”

According to James Brownlee, the city’s health officer and Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, current clinic patients will be notified of the arrangement with the Henry J. Austin Health Center and receive guidance on how to connect with their new health-care professionals.

“Our goal is to increase the availability of services to our patients, which elevates care,” said Mr. Brownlee. “We are working to make this a seamless change in health-care providers for our current clients.”

According to Gregory Paulson, Executive Director of the Trenton Health Team, which has a successful collaboration with the Henry J. Austin Health Center, Capital Health, St. Francis Medical Center and other health-care providers, the city’s agreement with the center aligns perfectly with its mission.

“Trenton Health Team strives to expand access to primary care for city residents,” said Paulson. “This partnership between the city of Trenton and the Henry J. Austin Health Center achieves that goal.”

 

About the Department of Health and Human Services

The city’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) protects the health and well-being of city residents through a framework of five divisions: health; social services, including operation of the city’s four senior citizen centers; vital statistics; environmental services; and humane law enforcement and animal control. HHS formulates policies, collaborates with health care providers and administers all state-mandated public-health programs, such as monitoring population health, identifying epidemiological health threats and delivering education health and wellness education programs. Also, the department inspects, regulates and licenses city restaurants and food vendors, tattoo parlors, body art retailers and businesses using pesticides. In addition, it investigates and abates public-health nuisance complaints and environmental conditions impacting the city’s housing stock. The main telephone number for HHS is (609) 989-3332.

 

About the Henry J. Austin Health Center

Henry J. Austin Health Center (HJAHC) is Mercer County’s only designated Community Health Center, a critical component of the nation’s health care safety net that serves the uninsured and underserved. HJAHC is one of more than 1,250 Health Centers around the country that provide some 20 million Americans with primary health care.

The Trenton Neighborhood Health Center (later renamed in honor of one of Trenton’s first African-American physicians, Henry J. Austin), opened its doors in 1969. Thirty years later, HJAHC became one of the first Health Centers in New Jersey to be reviewed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations, receiving ‘Accreditation with Commendation.’ This coveted accreditation has been renewed every three years.

In 2013, nearly 477,000 patients made 1,400,000 visits to New Jersey’s Health Centers. HJAHC accounted for about 50,000 visits and 13,000 patients.

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Please direct all media inquiries to:

Michael A. Walker
Public Information Officer and Aide to the Mayor
City of Trenton
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
319 East State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608

Direct: 609-989-3033
Cell Phone: 609-789-7272
E-mail: mwalker@trentonnj.org

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