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After helping to broker a deal late Friday night that averted a looming NJ Transit strike, Gov. Chris Christie will head back to the presidential campaign trail Monday in support of Republican candidate Donald Trump.Christie first endorsed the businessman and former Atlantic City casino owner late last month and has since appeared with him at campaign stops in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida.
Trump’s schedule for Monday includes visits to Florida, Ohio and North Carolina ahead of Tuesday primaries in all three states. It’s currently unclear if Christie will accompany Trump at all of Monday’s designated campaign events.
For the Trump campaign, Monday’s schedule follows an intense weekend that saw events marked with heavy protests and frequent disruptions. On Friday evening, Trump was forced to cancel a rally in Chicago amid security concerns.
Speaking on Friday night at a news conference to announce the NJ Transit deal, Christie, who was vacationing last week in Florida, said that the responsibility for the chaos surrounding Trump’s campaign did not lie solely with him.
On Sunday during an interview for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said that while he does not condone the violence seen at some of his rallies, he does not accept responsibility for what’s taking place.
Tag: South Jersey
NJBIZ stories taking place in and involving South Jersey businesses, companies and business news.
Changing the model Denholtz Associates finding fresh approach to development
When it comes to a site that fits the mold for a real estate developer and investor such as Denholtz Associates, Stephen Cassidy points to a parcel just off Exit 135 of the Garden State Parkway.
That’s the home of one of the newest acquisitions by the firm and its partners, a mixed-use, 10-building property in Clark that is anchored by the cosmetics giant L’Oréal, but still has available land for new commercial development. It was one the largest infill sites in the area that was available for sale last year, sitting in a heavily trafficked retail corridor — and it’s one that’s ripe with potential.
“We have a unique opportunity here, whereby we have a cash-flowing asset that’s supported by as good a credit tenant as you can find,” said Cassidy, Denholtz Associates’ president. “So we can go through a development process with the luxury of cash flow. … You don’t really find opportunities like that often.”
It’s the type of deal that captures the attention of the Matawan-based firm of about 70 employees. The business has more than 60 years of history in New Jersey, but these days prides itself on being a nimble, entrepreneurial real estate company focused on creating value for its investors.
Under the radar
It’s more of a micromarket than a full-fledged submarket, but the cluster of office buildings in Matawan just off the Garden State Parkway has all the appeal of many of the state’s high-profile corporate hubs.
“It’s a small market, but you have access to all of northern New Jersey and even New York,” said Stephen Cassidy of Denholtz Associates, which owns two of the three Class A office buildings in the area.
The two properties include 14 Cliffwood Ave., which Denholtz developed nearly a decade ago and adopted as its own headquarters space, and 100 Matawan Road nearby. Directly adjacent to that is 90 Matawan Road, a five-story building owned by Hudson Equities Management Corp.
Together, the three buildings comprise less than 400,000 square feet, so it’s no surprise that the area is under the radar to many. To Cassidy, however, it’s all the rage.
“Exit 120 on the Parkway is one of the greatest exits on the Parkway if you live south of Exit 120, because if you’re coming north on the Parkway, after 120 is breakneck traffic from there to New York in the morning and the reverse coming home in the evening,” he said. “I happen to live in (Lincroft) and I can get here in 10 minutes.”
Led by Cassidy and CEO Steven Denholtz, son of founder Jack Denholtz, the firm has helped do that in recent years by right-sizing its portfolio from as high as 7 million square feet to just under 5 million square feet. Today, its holdings consist of mostly office and industrial property it owns and manages in the Garden State, Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Chicago and both coasts of Florida.
“We had spread our wings into other markets,” Cassidy said. “We’re still working the properties we have in Chicago and other markets, but going forward, looking for opportunities, we’re sort of narrowing our focus to where we think we can be value-add providers for our partners.”
He said it’s no surprise to see the firm adjust its strategy as the market changes. In its earliest days, its investors were mostly friends and family of Jack Denholtz. Since then, the company “has run through every type of capital stack that one could probably dream up,” Cassidy said, from syndications and institutional partners to banks and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
Today, the firm has largely returned its focus to syndications, in which investors pool their resources together for a real estate project, because of the opportunity Denholtz sees in that space. It’s much of the same logic behind the company’s entrance into crowdfunding about a year and a half ago, an area that Cassidy said has added a new dimension to its platform.
“It’s just another way to build capital,” he said. “We have an endless need for it.”
Under decades-old federal regulations, businesses seeking to raise funds were largely restricted to people they knew or could be introduced to. But that has since changed under the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, providing a new frontier even for real estate firms.
Denholtz now uses an online portal known as CrowdStreet, which solicits and verifies accredited investors and connects them with real estate investment opportunities. The firm posted its first deal on the website in the third quarter of last year, raising roughly 30 percent of the equity for an 80,000-square-foot office project in Orlando, Florida.And it’s now preparing to launch a second crowdfunding deal, even though Cassidy concedes the concept is still misunderstood. For many, the term conjures up an image of someone on Facebook trying to raise money for a vacation, but he is trying to erase that stigma.
“It’s not any different than me speaking to a friend at a golf club,” Cassidy said. “It’s just that these folks are brought to you in a different way. So the more we can bring it to light, the more it will be good going forward for us all. It’s a really good mechanism.”
Whatever the funding source, Denholtz always has sought to add value for its investors by being a “seed-to-harvest” operation, Cassidy said. Just about everything is done in-house, from financial reporting to property management to most legal work, giving it an edge over other like-minded firms.
“We like to think we provide a competitive advantage to our investors and our partners in that we can get a lease out to a prospective tenant in as little as an hour,” he said. “So we’re a responsive, fully integrated company, and we think we provide the best service that way.”
The one thing Denholtz does outsource completely is leasing. Cassidy said the firm likes leasing agents “to be knowledgeable and local and focused.” That creates more efficiency, he said, and the company’s internal team uses software to keep its finger on the pulse of each market.
As for the roles of its two principals, Cassidy said he and Denholtz each have their own strengths. Both are active in raising capital, but Cassidy, a licensed CPA, is the guru of analysis and financial presentation.
Denholtz, meantime, shows his prowess in the development process. It’s why Cassidy, who previously was a consultant for the firm, first left the public accounting sector to join his team nearly 13 years ago.
“We had dealt with a lot of REIT work, a lot of the local developers, and Steve was a guy that was just always appealing to me, not only from his charisma but his ability to tackle a real estate deal and break it down to its core very quickly,” Cassidy said. “He was really the best real estate guy, in my opinion, we had dealt with, so when an opportunity came to come and work with him, I jumped at it.”
Embracing the future
Stephen Cassidy has become increasingly vocal in support of crowdfunding in real estate, but it’s not only because of the potential it holds for raising capital.
Cassidy noted that CrowdStreet, the crowdfunding platform used by Denholtz Associates, is doing more than simply sourcing investors for its projects. The firm also has used it to create a portal for many of its traditional investors, who can log in to learn facts about the projects, see their distributions and learn other important financial information.
“For us, the crowdfunding also represents a better communication with our investors and a higher degree of transparency,” said Cassidy, president of Denholtz Associates. “And that’s exciting to us because we think that brings repeat investors, we think that’s good for them and we think we’re just providing better service and product to those that we’re working with.”
And it’s now preparing to launch a second crowdfunding deal, even though Cassidy concedes the concept is still misunderstood. For many, the term conjures up an image of someone on Facebook trying to raise money for a vacation, but he is trying to erase that stigma.
“It’s not any different than me speaking to a friend at a golf club,” Cassidy said. “It’s just that these folks are brought to you in a different way. So the more we can bring it to light, the more it will be good going forward for us all. It’s a really good mechanism.”
Whatever the funding source, Denholtz always has sought to add value for its investors by being a “seed-to-harvest” operation, Cassidy said. Just about everything is done in-house, from financial reporting to property management to most legal work, giving it an edge over other like-minded firms.
“We like to think we provide a competitive advantage to our investors and our partners in that we can get a lease out to a prospective tenant in as little as an hour,” he said. “So we’re a responsive, fully integrated company, and we think we provide the best service that way.”
The one thing Denholtz does outsource completely is leasing. Cassidy said the firm likes leasing agents “to be knowledgeable and local and focused.” That creates more efficiency, he said, and the company’s internal team uses software to keep its finger on the pulse of each market.
As for the roles of its two principals, Cassidy said he and Denholtz each have their own strengths. Both are active in raising capital, but Cassidy, a licensed CPA, is the guru of analysis and financial presentation.
Denholtz, meantime, shows his prowess in the development process. It’s why Cassidy, who previously was a consultant for the firm, first left the public accounting sector to join his team nearly 13 years ago.
“We had dealt with a lot of REIT work, a lot of the local developers, and Steve was a guy that was just always appealing to me, not only from his charisma but his ability to tackle a real estate deal and break it down to its core very quickly,” Cassidy said. “He was really the best real estate guy, in my opinion, we had dealt with, so when an opportunity came to come and work with him, I jumped at it.”
Stockton University names new provost
Stockton University has named a provost and vice president for academic affairs, the Galloway college announced.Lori A. Vermeulen, dean of arts and sciences at West Chester University, will assume the role on or before July 5, according to a Stockton news release issued Friday.
Vermeulen replaces Susan Davenport, who has been serving as interim provost and executive vice president since Harvey Kesselman, the former provost, was named first acting president, and then to the permanent position.
“Dr. Vermeulen is the right person for Stockton at this time in its history,” Kesselman said in a prepared statement. “Her credentials are extraordinary and her accomplishments and achievements are simply outstanding. We all look forward to working with her.”
In her new role, Vermeulen will provide vision, leadership and strategic planning for Stockton’s academic programs, as well as providing direction and support for recruitment, appointment and advancement of faculty, assembling and allocating resources in support of academic programs and more.
“There is a real sense of community here,” she said in a statement. “Stockton has a firm commitment to the liberal arts tradition and a unique focus on interdisciplinary approaches to education, making it distinctive in the region and on the national stage.”
Vermeulen has more than 20 years of higher education experience, including her nine years at West Chester, as well as several years at Southern Illinois University.
“Finally, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of Dr. Susan Davenport, who this past year has been fulfilling the role of interim provost and executive vice president,” Kesselman said. “Dr. Davenport’s leadership, planning, evaluative skills, academic and financial acumen have been paramount in moving the institution forward during a pivotal time in the university’s history.”
NJ Transit, unions reach contract agreement and avoid strike
Gov. Chris Christie confirmed Friday night that NJ Transit and its 11 unions had reached a tentative contract agreement, averting a possible strike Sunday.The governor, in a Friday night news conference, said the unions, which represent more than 4,200 New Jersey Transit workers, had been working without a contract since 2011, but will now be covered through the end of 2019.
“It’s good news on many levels,” Christie said, according to a transcript issued by his office. “First, we averted a strike and the damage it would do to our economy and we reached an agreement that is longer than the Presidential Executive Board recommendation. … This is going to give workers and commuters a measure of certain and stability as we go forward.”
Christie characterized negotiations as difficult, and with compromises made on both sides.
“I never felt as if we were that far apart, that if we were acting in good faith we couldn’t come to an agreement,” he said in a separate statement. “I knew it was going to take my involvement to do it, but I don’t come in two weeks ago. If you are the ultimate decision-maker, which on this, from the government side of it, I am, you do not come in until the very end.”
He added, however, that fare hikes were not part of the agreement.
“From the perspective of the New Jersey taxpayers and the New Jersey Transit fare payers, who I represent, I want to let you know — we have settled the contract with their interest being placed before any other interest,” he said at the news conference.
The workers must still ratify the agreement.
“I know the unions were acting in good faith and I know we were acting in good faith, and that combination … listen, I don’t believe the members of the union wanted to strike,” Christie said. “They care about their customers. They do not want to hurt the customers and inconvenience them. They don’t want to go without pay, and I think they only would have done it if they felt we were being unreasonable and not acting in good faith.”
No details of the contract agreement were available Friday night.
“I am very happy that we resolved this agreement before our transit system and our economy were disrupted by the threatened strike,” Christie concluded. “And, again, I want to thank everyone who helped make it possible.”
Atlantic City takeover bill advanced by Senate panel
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted Thursday 9-1-3 in favor of advancing a bill that would allow for a state takeover of Atlantic City’s finances.Local leaders and residents were in attendance to push back on the bipartisan measure, which is backed by Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and state Sens. Kevin O’Toole (R-Wayne) and Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge).
Under the legislation, the state will assume greater power and responsibility in the restructuring of the city’s finances for a five-year period.
Bill sponsors say that currently, the city owes bondholders more than $500 million and more than $150 million in tax appeal debt.
“This is a pathway to creating an efficient, accountable and transparent Atlantic City Government,” O’Toole said. “Taxpayers from Bergen County to Cape May have sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Atlantic City in recent years, and this is a step allowing us to protect those investments. This intervention will expedite the city’s evolution into a new prime-time destination for people on the East Coast and beyond.”
“We have to bring responsible financial management and practices to Atlantic City. State intervention is a better choice than allowing the city to go into bankruptcy,” Sarlo added. “Under bankruptcy, all the decisions would be imposed by a bankruptcy judge. This plan gives the city and the state a voice and a role in making the decisions that will impact the lives of the residents and the future of Atlantic City.”
In a companion bill, the committee also approved a measure that would allow for Atlantic City’s casinos to make payments in lieu of taxes to help pay down the city’s debt over a 10-year period.
“One of the most important priorities is to protect local taxpayers from bearing the cost of declining revenues caused in large part by the multiple casino closings,” Sweeney said. “The PILOT plan will bring more reliability in local revenue and more predictability for the casinos.”
But despite the bills seemingly having the support of Gov. Chris Christie, there is some doubt as to whether or not they will ever reach his desk since Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus) has said that the legislation may compromise existing union contracts.
While Mayor Don Guardian appeared to have agreed to terms on a takeover with Christie and Sweeney in January, he has since taken a hard stance against the plan.
The measures will now head to the full Senate for a vote.
OSHA cites pair of contractors fines could total nearly 250K
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a pair of contractors for allegedly exposing workers to safety hazards, threatening the companies with nearly $250,000 in combined fines.Berlin Builders, a Cinnaminson residential construction contractor, was cited for 19 repeat and eight serious violations at four work sites, after a series of OSHA inspections. OSHA requested fines totaling $198,550 over the alleged violations at sites including:
- Lakewood: $61,380;
- Glassboro: $47,520;
- Haddonfield: $47,080;
- Robbinsville: $42,570.
The inspections were part of a local emphasis program focused on preventing falls, which OSHA said are the leading cause of death in the construction industry.
“By refusing to provide the proper fall protection, Berlin Builders is jeopardizing the lives and well-being of its employees and their families,” Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA’s Marlton Area Office, said in a prepared statement. “Four in 10 construction workers who die as a result of workplace injury suffer a fall, so it’s vital that construction companies take responsibility to ensure worker safety. No one should have to compromise their safety in order to earn a paycheck.”
Alleged violations include failing to provide fall protection for workers, failure to train employees on fall protection and failure to train employees on proper ladder use.
In a separate case, OSHA cited Waldwick-based D.S. Meyer Enterprises LLC for five serious and one willful violation at a work site in Parsippany.
The citations were related to a report of unprotected trench hazards during repairs to an underground water line, OSHA said. The inspection was conducted under a national emphasis program focused on trenches, and a local emphasis program focused on construction.
OSHA requested $52,500 in penalties in this case.
“Despite knowing cave-in protection was required, D.S. Meyer Enterprises chose instead to willfully expose workers in that trench to life-threatening conditions,” Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office, said in a statement. “The fatality rate for excavation work is 112 percent higher than the rate for general construction. Trench protection systems are more than a required OSHA safety standard; they are a matter of life and death.”
Alleged violations included exposing a worker to a cave-in hazard, as well as failing to ensure hard-hat usage.
The companies cited had 15 days from receipt of the citations to accept them, contest them or request a meeting with the appropriate area director.
Sweeney wants financial data from hospitals, which seem eager to comply
Hospitals in New Jersey have been given 10 days, or eight business days, to comply with a request to produce 10 years’ worth of financial information to the New Jersey Legislature. However, those that had received the request by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney seemed perfectly happy to hand over the information.(Editor’s note: This report was updated at 9:10 a.m. Thursday to clarify that NJHA data was provided by a source outside of the organization who requested anonymity.)
Hospitals in New Jersey have been given 10 days, or eight business days, to comply with a request to produce 10 years’ worth of financial information to the New Jersey Legislature. However, those that had received the request by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney seemed perfectly happy to hand over the information.
A letter from Sweeney (D-West Deptford) dated Tuesday intends to shed light on current controversies over cost drivers affecting the state’s health care systems, and the effect of existing statutory framework on the systems’ ability to deliver quality and cost-efficient care.
“As you are aware, the New Jersey Legislature is currently focusing significant time and resources attempting to identify cost drivers associated with our state’s health care system. We are engaged in this process to examine whether our existing statutory framework is fostering an environment which produces high quality care at a fair cost to New Jersey consumers,” Sweeney said in the letter.
Sweeney asks for earnings and profit margin amounts for the entire health system and each acute care hospital that is part of that system, all by a deadline of March 18.
Many hospitals told NJBIZ they had not received the letter as of Wednesday afternoon. However, those that had, or had seen a copy of it, seemed happy to comply.
Sister Patricia Codey, executive director of Catholic HealthCare, revealed she spoke to Sweeney after the hearing to request that all hospitals and insurance companies provide their financial information.
“Certainly, we are in agreement with Senate President Sweeney in our support of tiered networks, lower costs, transparency and value-based care,” Codey said. “Sen. Sweeney further commented that he will be asking all 72 hospitals in the state of New Jersey to disclose their profit margins. I would suggest that we take it a step further and require all insurance companies to provide their financial information to Senate President Sweeney. After his testimony, I spoke directly to Sen. Sweeney to this point, and he agreed to require insurance companies to do the same. I am grateful to him for that.”
Operating margins
Operating margins are at the center of the debate for hospitals that see a threat by the potential market shift assumed by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s OMNIA plan.
The New Jersey Hospital Association previously told NJBIZ a 4 to 6 percent profit margin is the minimum threshold nonprofits must reach in order to be able to reinvest in themselves, and at least 30 percent are operating below that margin.
NJHA data, provided to NJBIZ by a source that requested anonymity because it is not authorized to discuss the information, gave more details. The data show that, compared with the second quarter of 2014, the average margin was above 5 percent for hospitals in 2015.
Those listed as operating in the negative include The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Saint Francis Medical Center, Capital Health, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, University Medical Center of Princeton and Raritan Bay Medical Center.
At the top of the list, operating in double-digit margins, were Lourdes Medical Center, Virtua, Valley Hospital, Hackensack UMC Mountainside and St. Luke’s Warren.
Hospitals operating with less than 3 percent margins include University Hospital, Englewood Hospital, Hunterdon Medical Center, CentraState Medical Center, Cape Regional Medical Center, CarePoint Health Bayonne, Trinitas Regional Medical Center and Saint Peter’s University Medical Center.
Operating margins are at the center of the debate for hospitals that see a threat by the potential market shift assumed by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s OMNIA plan.
The New Jersey Hospital Association previously told NJBIZ a 4 to 6 percent profit margin is the minimum threshold nonprofits must reach in order to be able to reinvest in themselves, and at least 30 percent are operating below that margin.
NJHA data, provided to NJBIZ by a source that requested anonymity because it is not authorized to discuss the information, gave more details. The data show that, compared with the second quarter of 2014, the average margin was above 5 percent for hospitals in 2015.
Those listed as operating in the negative include The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Saint Francis Medical Center, Capital Health, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, University Medical Center of Princeton and Raritan Bay Medical Center.
At the top of the list, operating in double-digit margins, were Lourdes Medical Center, Virtua, Valley Hospital, Hackensack UMC Mountainside and St. Luke’s Warren.
Hospitals operating with less than 3 percent margins include University Hospital, Englewood Hospital, Hunterdon Medical Center, CentraState Medical Center, Cape Regional Medical Center, CarePoint Health Bayonne, Trinitas Regional Medical Center and Saint Peter’s University Medical Center.
A request for comment on the insurance companies was not returned by Sweeney’s office.
Trinitas Regional Medical Center CEO Gary Horan said his hospital will comply.
“Naturally, we will comply, and most if not all of the requested information is already available on websites like the one maintained by the Healthcare Facilities Financing Authority. Trinitas has a razor-thin operating margin, which is typical of the hospitals designated as Tier 2. These are the same hospitals that can least afford a further erosion in their numbers of insured patients,” Horan said.
John DiAngelo, CEO and president of Inspira Health Network, added that, “Inspira Health Network thoroughly supports this effort and will comply with Senate President Steve Sweeney’s request in a timely manner.”
And Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital said in a statement that “(RWJUH) continues to support efforts which encourage transparency and give individuals access to information that can help them make informed choices about their health care. Much of the information regarding an individual hospital’s quality scores is already made public and this measure will only serve to increase the level of transparency and sharing of information among our state’s hospitals.”
Many hospitals opposing a tiered health network plan by the state’s largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, have said the OMNIA plan could shift enough commercially insured patients away from struggling urban and safety-net hospitals and thereby threaten their existence.
Sweeney testified Monday at a hearing where three bills to address tiered health networks were discussed.
“The letter follows through on the promise the Senate president made during (Monday’s) Senate Commerce Committee hearing,” according to a statement from Sweeney’s office.
Poll Most N.J. voters against state takeover of Atlantic City
According to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Wednesday, a slim majority of New Jersey voters are against the idea of a state takeover of Atlantic City.The poll found that 51 percent of voters feel as if Atlantic City should be responsible for handling its own fiscal matters, compared with just 44 percent who agree that the state should step in.
Gov. Chris Christie held a news conference in January to announce that the state planned to intervene in Atlantic City’s affairs and that Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and Mayor Don Guardian were in agreement.
Guardian has since reneged on his support, claiming that the details of the takeover plan were far too extreme and even “fascist.”
When a similar poll was conducted last year, the majority of voters sided with a state takeover.
“A number of New Jerseyans see both sides here, but public opinion is ultimately against the takeover legislation proposed by Gov. Christie and state Senate President Sweeney,” said Ashley Koning, poll assistant director. “Whether this is due to residents’ issue with a state takeover of any kind or ever-fading hopes of a bright future for Atlantic City, it seems that the resort town is no longer treasured by New Jerseyans as it was decades ago.”
Also by a narrow margin, more voters, some 49 percent, are in favor of limiting casino gaming to Atlantic City. Just 44 percent said they favored expanding it to other parts of the state.
Some 57 percent of voters added that casinos elsewhere in the state would ultimately hurt Atlantic City.
As coalition plans national center, leader elaborates on helping high-need patients
“This is about the idea that there is an emerging field, to train future generations on how to work with data sets. This is like the earliest days of cancer treatment or HIV treatment,” said Dr. Jeffrey Brenner.
The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, led by Brenner, has announced plans to establish a national center, funded by $8.7 million from AARP, The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The center would help improve care for high-need patients who experience poor outcomes despite extreme patterns of hospitalizations or emergency care, continuing the coalition’s decade and more of work.
“There are examples going on in rural, urban and other areas all over the country. It’s an informal network now. I’d say this is a burgeoning filed and … there is not a professional home for it. There isn’t even a conference for it; I don’t know what conference to attend,” Brenner said.
So in December this year, there will be a conference, as part of plans for the national center. Though there is no physical home for the center, the use of technology is facilitating growth and establishing the network, Brenner said.
The coalition is collaborating and sharing ideas with projects in Alaska, New York state, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco and Denver, just to name a few.
“There is a great project we are enamored with in Pennsylvania where they have not only lowered the costs of care but reduced mortality in 80-year-olds by 49 percent,” Brenner said.
His goal is to help fix the approach to health care as the industry continues to transform.
“There is a payment problem, training problem and a care delivery problem,” Brenner said. “It’s time for us to get beyond organs and stand back and think about people, and their families and their community, and how to deliver care.”
That includes avoiding assumptions stemming from the socioeconomic status or education level of a patient, as well as training doctors old and new to integrate mental health factors and environmental triggers to give a more holistic view of a patient’s life.
The ineffective care of some of these individuals has been a focus of Brenner’s work, which has garnered national attention, for more than a decade. The coalition has gotten the city’s hospitals, health care professionals, social service agencies and even local law enforcement and public safety officials involved in improving the medical care of the city’s sickest people.
“We have a generation of work to do in order to address the mismatch between the health care system’s service delivery model and the needs of patients with complex medical, behavioral and social needs,” said Brenner. “With 85 million baby boomers in the midst of retiring and state budgets facing ever-growing costs from Medicaid, it’s crucial that we rethink our care delivery models for the sickest and most complex patients. We’re building a new field and a movement for better care, one patient and one community at a time.”
N.J. adds 5,700 jobs in February, ADP says
New Jersey added 5,700 private-sector jobs in the month of February, according to the latest information from Roseland-based ADP.The payroll and human resources company said in its monthly Regional Employment Report that the nation as a whole gained 214,000 private-sector jobs for the month. That was up from the January gain of 193,000 jobs.
New Jersey’s gains were also higher than January’s figure of 2,700 jobs added.
The percentage change of 0.17 of a percent for the Garden State compared favorably with neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, which added 0.17 of a percent and 0.15 of a percent, respectively.
The services sector led the way in the Garden State, as usual, adding 5,200 jobs, compared with 600 gained in the goods-producing sector.
Among industries, professional and business services had the highest increase, at 1,800. Natural resources/mining and construction added 700 jobs, while trade, transportation and utilities added 200. Manufacturing lost 100 jobs, however.
Camden Coalition gets 8.7M to establish national center
The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers announced plans to establish a national center, funded by $8.7 million from AARP, The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.The center would help improve care for high-need patients who experience poor outcomes despite extreme patterns of hospitalizations or emergency care, continuing the work that the coalition, led by Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, has been accomplishing in Camden.
“Across the country, innovators are developing new models of health care delivery that lower costs and improve care for patients who are overwhelmed by the challenges of navigating the complexity of the American health care system,” said Brenner, executive director of the coalition. “By developing a professional home for those who are involved in this rapidly growing field, we hope to bring disparate efforts together to improve the research base, share emerging ideas and inspire the next generation of health care providers.”
The ineffective care of some of these individuals has been a focus of Brenner’s work, which has garnered national attention, for more than a decade. The coalition has gotten the city’s hospitals, health care professionals, social service agencies and even local law enforcement and public safety officials involved in improving the medical care of the city’s sickest people.
“We have a generation of work to do in order to address the mismatch between the health care system’s service delivery model and the needs of patients with complex medical, behavioral, and social needs,” said Brenner. “With 85 million baby boomers in the midst of retiring and state budgets facing ever growing costs from Medicaid, it’s crucial that we rethink our care delivery models for the sickest and most complex patients. We’re building a new field and a movement for better care one patient and one community at a time.”
ADP survey Small-business employment on the rise
According to the Feb. ADP Small Business Survey, private sector small business employment increased by 76,000 jobs from Jan. to Feb.The report looks defines small businesses as companies with fewer than 50 employees and tracks their employment information to monitor what it calls, “the important contribution that small businesses make to economic growth.”
Highlights from the data include:
Total Small Business Employment: 76,000
By size:
- 1-19 employees — 37,000
- 20-49 employees — 38,000
By sector for 1-49 employees:
- Goods producing — 2,000
- Service providing — 73,000
By sector for 1-19 employees:
- Goods producing — 2,000
- Service providing — 35,000
By sector for 20-49 employees:
- Goods producing — 0
- Service providing — 38,000
The report is produced by ADP in conjunction with Moody’s Analytics.