Global Health | Social Impact and Community Investment

Global Health begins within our borders. As our world becomes more connected,
no institution or community is an island unto itself. Our local communities
are made up of multi-ethnic and multicultural citizens and their families
and peers which connect us with communities abroad. Achieving health equity
for all is a guiding priority and core value we share with our community
partners near and far. RWJBarnabas Health seeks to advance its mission
to create health equity in a “glocal” manner – both
globally and locally in a coordinated measure.

“Our local communities are made up of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural
citizens and their families and peers which connect us with communities
abroad.”

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers University work together to enhance research
and medical and health professional education, address inequities in health
care, and eliminate health disparities in New Jersey and targeted global
communities. We advocate for holistic, multi-agency approaches to global
health issues leveraging our diverse professional backgrounds to enhance
education and training, support and implement research, build strategic
partnerships and initiatives, and raise the visibility and impact of global
health work across RWJBarnabas Health.

The RWJBarnabas Health Global Health vision is a world where health and
well being for all is ensured through equitable, inclusive and sustainable
services, policies, and investments. RWJBH global health strives to improve
the health of the most vulnerable communities locally and globally. Through
an academic partnership with the Rutgers Global Health Institute, we advance
collaborative research with domestic and international partners, build
community driven partnerships, and expand global health education to eliminate
health disparities and promote health equity for all. We use the power
of our collective voice to improve global health and well-being through
informed services, policies, and investments. The global health practice:

• Oversees the system’s global health outreach efforts, which include
  international and domestic disaster response.
• Spearheads professional development for system physicians and clinicians
  interested in participating in global health initiatives.
• Collaborates with domestic and international global health programs at
  universities, NGOs, government agencies, private foundations.
• Facilitates operational research by RWJBH and RBHS on health programs in
  vulnerable communities in the U.S. and targeted global regions.
• Creates opportunities for mutual knowledge exchange between clinicians
  and allied staff in the regions targeted for research.
• Spearheads the identification of new academic issues that contribute to
  academic knowledge on global health topics.
• Serves as a convener and catalyst between clinicians, non-clinicians, trainees,
  and administrators for interdisciplinary dialogues on emerging global
  health issues.
• Provide employees with opportunities to use their skills and interests
  to improve health, well-being and quality of life of the communities they serve.

GOAL 1

Develop an integrated, system-wide global health operational infrastructure.

The system needs to have the operational infrastructure to support its
global health work. Therefore, the practice is establishing the necessary
structure, philanthropic funding, and operational supports to ensure capacity
to carry the global health mission forward.

1. Manage RBHS/RWJBH global health working group focused on disasters, community
   health and resiliency, as evidenced by system-wide capabilities to address
   global health priorities and effective global health operations.
2. Create active interdisciplinary Global Health Clinical Councils at each
   RWJBH facility to determine global health priorities and help implement
   framework for each facility, as evidenced by the number of active councils.
3. Design and implement a global health development (fundraising) plan to
   support the long-term research mission of the practice, as evidenced by
   dedicated funding for global health initiatives.
   • Cultivate funders interested in global health and develop proposals seeking
     external foundation support.
   • Create social impact scholarship awards at each facility for residents
     to participate in global health activities.

GOAL 2

Foster community resilience and disaster preparedness in targeted global
communities. Community resilience is a public health approach to public
health emergency preparedness and response grounded in equity and social
justice considerations.

As global health continues its efforts related to disaster relief and recovery,
it is also turning its attention to resilience and preparedness, in an
effort to build healthy, equitable and sustainable communities both in
New Jersey and throughout the world. Mental health and substance use is
a particular concern and the promotion, protection and restoration of
mental health can be regarded as a vital foundation for psychosocial resilience
of individuals, communities and societies throughout the world.

1. Provide outreach to one community in Puerto Rico that focuses on training
   programs that address Mental Health and Psychological First Aid and Trauma-Informed
   Care by leveraging different methods of dissemination including in-person
   or through tele-psychology and smartphone-based emergency apps supported
   by solar powering units in the target communities, in collaboration with
   key partners including Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, Rutgers
   University School of Social Work, Rutgers University Graduate School of
   Applied Sciences, Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration,
   and local mental health care providers.
   • Provide technical assistance to the expansion of the volunteer community-run
     feeding program in Las Carolinas modeled after the Meals on Wheels program
     at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
2. Using the Dominican Republic as a proof of concept community, understand
   how collaborative care models can be implemented in low resource settings
   to inform RWJBH care delivery to similarly situated, resource deprived
   New Jersey communities.
   • Implement a two-week pilot, in the community of Moca, to co-design initiatives
     that aim to better integrate care for local resourced strapped residents
     with chronic physical and behavioral health needs, in partnership with
     clinicians, students and faculty from Pontifica Universidad Catolica Madre
     y Maestra (PUCMM), volunteer RWJBH clinicians, students and faculty from
     RWJ Medical School, Rutgers Graduate School of Professional Psychology
     Doctoral students, and faculty from Rutgers University.
3. Participate in a Rutgers University-funded research study entitled “Building
   Capacity for Integrated Mental Care in the Dominican Republic.”

GOAL 3

Develop a skilled global health practice able to respond to domestic and
international disasters by establishing criteria for RWJBH global disaster
and recovery designation and response as evidenced by the number of supplies
and medical equipment donated to medical missions; amount of pharmaceuticals
donated to medical missions; improved relationships with domestic and
international partners.

The creation of protocols for system designation of “sanctioned missions”
will assist the system in expeditiously responding to various global health
mission requests, both locally and globally. Global Health will also develop
resources for RWJBH employees and affiliates seeking to engage global
health initiatives outside of the SICI practice.

1. Create RWJBH policy for “sanctioned” missions.
2. Develop policies and procedures for procurement of supplies/medical equipment
   for medical mission outreach through partnerships with Medshare.
3. Develop policies and procedures for procurement of pharmaceuticals for
   medical mission outreach through partnerships with MAP International and
   Dispensary of Hope.
4. Advocate for sound federal and state policies to eliminate barriers to
   international donations.