RWJBarnabas Health has launched New Jersey’s first Street Medicine Program at Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC) to bring essential care and services directly to homeless individuals across the City of Elizabeth with the goal of expanding to other areas in the state to improve access to care among this particularly vulnerable population.
Through this initiative, RWJBarnabas Health will deploy a highly trained medical team into the community to meet and care for patients where they are, while also connecting them to physical, mental and behavioral health services, transportation and local clinics for long-term health solutions. The team will travel around the city in a clearly marked van, visiting homeless shelters, transitional housing centers, and other spaces where people experiencing homelessness typically congregate.
“Our Street Medicine Program is born from a culture that recognizes everyone, regardless of circumstance, is deserving of compassion and access to the world-class healthcare we provide,” said Mark E. Manigan, president and chief executive officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Being the first in New Jersey to put such a focus on the immediate healthcare needs of some of our most vulnerable residents is something in which RWJBarnabas Health takes tremendous pride.
Unavailable in New Jersey until now, the Street Medicine Program will deliver a full spectrum of care with a broad scope of services to meet the urgent needs of the community, including:
Urgent & Acute Care
Chronic Disease Management & Preventive Care
Mental Health & Street Psychiatry
Substance Use Support & Harm Reduction
Service Delivery Methods
Care Coordination Strategies
“We are proud to launch the Street Medicine Program here at Trinitas Regional Medical Center and support the Elizabeth community,” said TRMC President and CEO Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE. “Every single day we see first-hand the impacts of homelessness on one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. This initiative strategically delivers care to those who need it most, helping intervene and prevent a health crisis that would require emergency care.”
Supported through an appropriation by the State of New Jersey, the Street Medicine Program is part of RWJBarnabas Health’s Our Healthy Communities initiative aimed at improving health access and outcomes by addressing disparities and barriers to care.
“The Street Medicine Program advances RWJBarnabas Health’s mission of providing quality, compassionate and accessible care to the communities we serve,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, RWJBarnabas health senior vice president, community health. “Sending our team out into Elizabeth will be transformative, driving down mortality rates and improving health outcomes for patients in need. This impactful work would not be possible without the support of the State of New Jersey, and we are deeply grateful for that partnership.”
Through Our Healthy Communities, RWJBarnabas Health is partnering with local leaders, health care providers, clergy, civic and community-based organizations to strengthen critical social and health care infrastructure and expand patient access to care, healthy foods, nutrition education, transportation, economic mobility, and stable housing. Through the community health resources from the State of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health has reinvested more than $151 million in community health initiatives beyond traditional medical care to build and sustain long-term health for the residents and communities it serves.
“This initiative will be life-changing for our city,” said Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. “I am grateful to RWJBarnabas Health and the team at Trinitas Regional Medical Center for launching this program that will provide care to the homeless in our city and strengthen community health across the region.”
Led by TRMC Emergency Department (ED) attending physician Dr. Edward Egan, the Street Medicine Program will serve as a reliable entry point for care for people experiencing homelessness and facing additional barriers including lack of health insurance and transportation. The program will provide specialized medical care to unhoused individuals and enable them to receive needed treatments and intervention for physical and psychiatric concerns.
“I’m excited that we are officially launching the Street Medicine Program and I look forward to helping lead this team,” said Edward Egan, MD, Medical Director, Street Medicine. “We know the unhoused population face disproportionate barriers to receiving the care they need. This program will make a meaningful difference in our patients’ lives and help prevent hospitalizations, ensuring we can continue to deliver world-class care to our patients at TRMC and support the broader Elizabeth community.”