New Jersey will soon have its first public health institute – and it will be the first nationwide with a mission to advance health equity, according to organizers. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced Sept. 20 that it awarded Acenda Integrated Health – a Glassboro-based nonprofit – a two-year, $1 million grant to serve as the administrative, operational and strategic home of the institute. 

“This is a remarkable development in the effort to establish a public health institute in New Jersey,” Maisha Simmons, RWJF director of New Jersey grantmaking, said in a statement. “A lot of dedicated advocates across the state worked hard for this moment to arrive. RWJF is proud to be a partner in helping all people in our home state live their healthiest life possible.” 

On a mission

First Lady Tammy Murphy is continuing her efforts to highlight the issue of maternal and infant health, including the launch of the TeamBirth NJ initiative. Click here to read more.

A report released in March by the RWJF, the Nicholson Foundation and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) with the New Jersey Department of Health found that the state was in need of a “reimagined” public health system.

The conclusion was based on 10 months of research, which determined that a public health institute would help address “two striking situations … the state’s racial and ethnic inequities in health outcomes and underinvestment in the state’s public health infrastructure.”  The report said these issues were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The new institute will be charged with promoting collaboration and enhancing capacity in New Jersey “where public health infrastructure and systems are strained by a lack of funding and capacity.” 

The announcement cited Trust for America’s Health, which ranked the Garden State as 31st in the U.S. in state funding for public health. 

“We look forward to continuing to explore how a public health institute will build upon New Jersey’s progress in advancing health equity and innovations, helping to reduce New Jersey’s health disparities and addressing social determinants of health,” said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. 

The incubator’s top priorities will include recruiting a diverse, multisector board of trustees to guide and oversee the institute’s development, including hiring an executive director. The NNPHI will also be available for guidance. 

Acenda was chosen for the grant because of its experience with advancing racial equity, focus on racial justice, extensive work with communities of color, and financial capability, RWJF said. 

“The National Network of Public Health Institutes welcomes Acenda Integrated Health as incubator of a New Jersey public health institute,” said Erin Marziale, NNPHI senior director of network engagement. 

“Incubators are a best practice that enables emerging institutes to hit the ground running and demonstrate value quickly to key stakeholders, including historically-marginalized communities,” Marziale continued. “As technical assistance and connectivity providers for public health institutes across the country, NNPHI looks forward to helping build a strong foundation for New Jersey’s efforts.”