RWJBarnabas Health recently announced that more than 100,000 patients in New Jersey’s largest academic health system have benefited from a program launched in 2023 to help lower barriers to care, reduce hospital readmissions, and improve overall health outcomes.
The milestone coincides with the expansion of the system’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Program to all 14 RWJBarnabas Health hospitals in New Jersey.
Funded through community health resources from the State of New Jersey, the CHW program is part of RWJBarnabas Health’s overall effort to create healthier communities in the state by addressing New Jersey’s most urgent social determinants of health.
RWJBarnabas Health CHWs are an important part of the continuum of care as resources for vulnerable individuals. They assist patients with their health and social needs for up to 120 days and are embedded in hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), homeless and community centers, and at community health events.
CHWs conduct social determinants of health assessments to ensure patients are living in healthy environments, able to schedule and get transportation to physician visits, have access to food and are getting – and taking – their medications.
“We’re building and sustaining a healthier New Jersey by creating a framework for community wellness across our state,” said RWJBarnabas Health President and Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Manigan. “Along with increasing access to care and healthy, nutritious foods, our Community Health Workers serve a vital role in guiding families through their health journeys and improve the overall health of our communities.”
CHWs have engaged more than 100,300 patients since the program launched in Newark in November 2023 and later expanded to other hospitals within the system.
“The CHW program is a testament to what happens when health systems meet people where they are and address the real-life obstacles to achieving better health,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, senior vice president of community health at RWJBarnabas Health. “Thanks to the work of CHWs, more patients are keeping their doctors’ appointments, eating healthier, and better managing their chronic diseases.”
Nearly six in 10 patients who completed the social determinants of health assessment identified lacking access to transportation, 45% reported being food insecure, and 21% each reported having trouble paying utility bills or finding stable housing.
“I take great pride in serving my community,” said Brandon Olivares, 23, of North Plainfield, who joined the CHW team at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in May 2025 and has served nearly 350 patients, to date. “Many of my patients face both socioeconomic and language barriers. As a bilingual Spanish speaking CHW, I connect my patients to the resources they need and guide them through the process of completing applications, securing appointments, and securing services.”
RWJBarnabas Health employs more than 70 CHWs and announced earlier in October that the program had expanded to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.
