RWJBarnabas Health shares strategies to address social determinants

RWJBarnabas Health based in West Orange, N.J., will focus more on community-based care and invest in social impact efforts in 2020, according to CEO Barry Ostrowsky. In an interview with HealthLeaders Media, Ostrowsky said the pandemic has redefined vulnerability in the community, and with the state fiscally challenged, safety net programs are at risk. “We need to step into that breach,” he said. The health system is partnering with Rutgers University to achieve its goals and has established several community programs aimed at addressing food and housing insecurity, chronic unemployment, economic development and public safety. (HealthLeaders Media story, 6/11/20)