New Brunswick hospitals hope study will address community needs

Two New Brunswick hospitals are joining in a study to assess community health needs and determine how to better coordinate patient services in Middlesex and Somerset counties, hospital representatives said.

Two New Brunswick hospitals are joining in a study to assess community health needs and determine how to better coordinate patient services in Middlesex and Somerset counties, hospital representatives said.

The study, by St. Peter’s University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, will be conducted through focus groups, community forums, interviews, and partnerships with health departments and community-based groups, according to a news release. The project, which is being supported by a $249,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also calls for better use of the Internet and social networking.

Hospital representatives hope the study will help them “gain a firm knowledge of the scope of existing health care resources in central New Jersey,” the announcement said. The two hospitals, which are about a mile apart, will be looking for “opportunities for connecting our health care professionals where service need is identified,” said Maria Irizarry, vice president and chief of ambulatory services at St. Peter’s Healthcare System.

The project also aims to help the hospitals better coordinate efforts and create more targeted services that address high-priority needs that are gleaned from the study.

The grant is part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Jersey Health Initiatives program, according to the news release.