Projects

NJ Regional Health Hubs

Trenton Health Team is one of New Jersey’s first Regional Health Hubs created in 2020 through legislation signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy. See InsiderNJ story

Regional Health Hubs replaced state Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations  to  provide a community-based structure for convening stakeholders, planning and providing health interventions in order to eliminate healthcare fragmentation hampering care.

As an RHH, THT can better serve residents receiving healthcare coverage through Medicaid — those who often lack access to the resources needed to be, and stay, healthy. See Rutgers Center for StateHealth Policy video on evolution of ACO to RHH and implications for COVID-19 response

New Jersey’s regional partnerships (THT, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, Healthy Greater Newark, and Health Coalition of Passaic County) work with both clinical and social service providers to explore innovative structures and practices to integrate, coordinate and align disconnected programs in order to make communities healthier. See press release

Working as partners, we have formed a network focused on improving well-being throughout the state.

The state’s move toward a regional health approach was informed by THT participation in the ReThink Health Ventures program supported by The Rippel Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ventures helped THT re-examine how to improve health & well-being in Trenton by focusing on both healthcare AND “upstream” issues such as nutrition, housing & economic opportunity. See the Trenton Health Team Case Study

The FY 20 state budget formally recognized the first four Regional Health Hubs in New Jersey and continued the previous $1.5 million appropriation. This budget enabled New Jersey to leverage a 1-for-1 federal funding match supporting efforts to streamline healthcare in participating communities and providing models for other regions across the state. The FY 22 state budget  allocates $2.25 million in state dollars, reflecting  the expanded role of RHH in addressing statewide health concerns. 

THT Executive Director Gregory Paulson in March 2019 shared testimony with the state General Assembly Budget Committee urging policymakers to designate existing ACOs and regional partnerships as “Regional Health Hubs” and to maintain funding.

THT applauds state efforts to improve both delivery and quality of healthcare in New Jersey, which are rapidly establishing our state as a national model for how communities can come together to tackle our shared health challenges. See testimony to NJ Department of Human Services from THT Senior Director of Policy and Strategy  Emily Baggett.

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