About Us

North Jersey Health Collaborative (NJHC)

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Who We Are

The North Jersey Health Collaborative (NJHC) is a charitable not for profit 501 (c)(3) corporation whose members have a shared belief that in leveraging our resources and expertise, there is an opportunity to maximize the impact on the health of our communities. We believe that the NJHC fosters the health of the communities we serve by enhancing cooperation between partners to improve population health. 

Issues & Challenges

As communities, we face significant issues and challenges.

  • Rates of obesity and chronic illness are rising, mental illness and substance abuse are widespread, and many people lack access to basic healthcare and preventive services.
  • Multiple Needs Assessments are created at extensive cost and they are rarely shared.
  • Screenings, immunizations and health education are provided in an uncoordinated and inefficient manner.
  • Communication has been inconsistent and awareness of existing resources is limited.

NJHC’s Mission

The mission of the NJHC is to “coordinate the efforts and resources of public health, healthcare, and other organizations to maximize our impact on the health status of our communities and minimize avoidable illness, injury, and hospitalization.”

Why the Collaborative Was Formed 

The time is right for the knowledge and expertise of public health and community organizations to be combined with the clinical expertise of healthcare institutions in innovative ways.

  • Many organizations in our communities are working to address complex and multi-faceted health issues.  However, no single organization or sector, regardless of size, can achieve success on its own.
  • The key to sustainable change is getting out of our individual silos and finding ways to work together for the common good.
  • By leveraging our resources and expertise, we have an opportunity to maximize the impact on the health of our communities. 

Core Functions of the Collaborative

The NJHC will address community health issues and challenges by coordinating efforts and sharing resources to maximize our impact on population health. The Collaborative will accomplish three core functions:

  1. Coordinate a needs assessment and health improvement plan to meet the needs of all Members resulting in better data, shared information, and cost savings.
  1. Develop, maintain and utilize the NJHC website for shared data, resource listings, and better communication and coordination and monitoring health initiatives of our communities. 
  1. Develop and disseminate collaborative, evidence-based strategies for improving population health -- including program development, grant preparation and advocacy efforts.

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Member-Supported:  Core operational funds for the Collaborative will be provided via annual Member dues.

Member-Governed: Each Member has one seat on the Governing Board with the ability to direct funds, guide data collection & dissemination and determine health priorities. 

Regional in Scope: The NJHC will provide services for up to eight counties in Northern New Jersey, allowing for efficient sharing of resources and broader collaboration on health needs that cross county lines.

Local in Implementation: While programs and grants can be written regionally, the dissemination will remain local.  We will work with smaller, grassroots organizations to disseminate strategies that are grounded in the local culture. 

 

NJHC members come from diverse organization across Northern New Jersey. For a current list of members organizations, visit our member page. Interested in becoming a member?  Please contact Laura O'Reilly Stanzilis, Executive Director. 

 

NJHC Website

The NJHC Website is intended to help Community Members and policy makers learn about the health of their communities.  Highlights include:

  • Provides local health data, resources, best practices, news articles and information about community health events.
  • Shares balanced information on a broad range of topics affecting the health of our communities and highlights their assets.
  • Brings non-biased data, local resources and a wealth of information to a single, accessible, user-friendly location.
  • Gives communities the tools we need to read and understand the public health indicators that affect the quality of our residents' lives.
  • Helps communities set goals and evaluate progress. Community groups, schools, health associations, chambers of commerce, tourism and many other organizations can use this information to show the great benefits of living in Northern New Jersey.  The tools provide opportunities for improvement, with specific information.
  • Can be used by master planners and government to establish community goals on a variety of platforms.
  • Refreshes data whenever source data is updated, providing the most up-to-date information of its kind.

The evolving nature of this website allows all users of The NJHC Website to contribute information and ideas. The Promising Practices section highlights exemplary programs and successes of local, state and national health departments.  It also allows individuals to search for information when they face a similar situation or, as a resource.

The goal of the NJHC is to strengthen and build healthier communities through the provision of state-of-the-art web-based assessment and improvement tools. We hope you find it beneficial and make suggestions for enhancement as you begin to use the data.