The Healthcare Foundation periodically initiates special projects, offering technical assistance or facilitating models of care in health arenas that are ripe for strategic support. Several examples are noted.

The Healthcare Foundation Center for Humanistic Medicine within the New Jersey Medical School

Funded in 2003 with a commitment to scholarship and an endowment of $3.2 million, this center for medical education is the first of its kind in the nation, and will train future physicians to impart compassion, cultural sensitivity, and humanistic practices alongside their practice of quality medical care. 


Early Childhood Mental Health Promotion and Access Initiative

This is a three-year signature project The Foundation designed and funded through an RFP process to respond to the well-documented need in the Newark NJ region for increased access to behavioral health expertise and services supporting the healthy social and emotional development of young children during their most formative years.

 

Now in the second year this demonstration project was designed to increase the availability of mental health services for infants, young children and parents/families; to promote proficiency and expertise for providers of early childhood mental health services; and through education to establish increased levels of comfort for parents and guardians seeking early childhood mental, behavioral and/or developmental health services.

 

The Foundation committed $1.5 Million over three years in July 2006 to three unique neighborhood-based behavioral health programs in underserved communities in Essex County, two in Newark and one in Irvington.  The cornerstone of each of these either new or expanded programs is one or more clinicians on-site within preschool and/or other childcare settings. These staff are providing ongoing, supportive and tailored clinical services including play therapy to young children age five and under, as well as ongoing training and assistance for parents, family caregivers, and professional childcare staff. Some of these programs are also engaging the day care community and parents of infants and toddlers, reaching littlest ones and their caregivers at crucial periods of development.

 

Data is being collected to establish the impact and value of each program and across programs. The Early Childhood Mental Health Promotion and Access Initiative is reaching hundreds of children each year. At this juncture, the agency partners are reporting very positively on the effect of this project, across schools and the broader communities they are serving.


Newark School-Based Health Centers

Now in their 10th year, Newark public school-based health centers located in five Newark public schools offer easy access to full service primary care to infants and children up to age 21. The centers were recently converted into federally qualified health centers.


Humanism in Healthcare Awards

This program was begun ten years ago to recognize hospital employees in positions of direct patient care and nursing students and faculty who demonstrate their commitment to treating patients and families with compassion and kindness. More than 20 hospitals, long-term care facilities and nursing schools in the region participate. Each honoree receives $500 and a Certificate of Recognition. In 2007 there were over 40 honorees.

Technical Assistance for Prospective Applicants

In 2004 The Foundation developed and conducted a workshop for representatives of over 20 non-profit institutions, detailing the application process and outlining the guidelines and elements of a successful proposal. In the spring of 2007, we conducted a series of 3 such workshops.  For information about future workshops, please contact The Foundation office.