Saint Peter's Celebrates Expansion of Family Health Center on How Lane in New Brunswick

NEW BRUNSWICK – The $12 million expansion and modernization of Saint Peter's Family Health Center on How Lane, which will now have the capacity for 100,000 visits each year, is a blessing to the community.

And so, Saint Peter's Healthcare System welcomed last week key legislators, community partners, board members, physicians and staff with a blessing by The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen.

The center offers comprehensive primary and specialty care to adults, children and women, many of whom are among the city's most vulnerable, with a full spectrum of services including adult medicine, women's obstetrical and gynecological care (including prenatal care), pediatrics, physical therapy, laboratory services and behavioral health counseling.

About 90% of the individuals cared for at Saint Peter's Family Health Center are covered by the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Medicaid Managed Care of the New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (charity care).

"I am so excited that we've arrived at this moment," said Leslie D. Hirsch, FACHE, president and CEO of Saint Peter's Healthcare System. "Saint Peter's Catholic mission of humble service to humanity comes to life daily at the Family Health Center. The Family Health Center provides comprehensive clinical services, but a big part of what we do is to focus on social determinants of health, including food insecurity and other environmental factors that impact a patient's overall well-being.

"To this end, in addition to the quality medical services we provide here, we've launched a program to educate patients about the benefits for which they may be eligible, for example, assistance with food, childcare, bills, tax credits and more, including addressing the transportation challenges that impact access to care."**BULLSEYE

Saint Peter's Family Health Center currently has 60,000 visits per year, but the 73,000 square-foot facility will now have the capacity for 100,000 visits.

Saint Peter's expanded and upgraded 49 adult, pediatric and women's health exam rooms to 76, added a new on-site outpatient laboratory, expanded the behavioral health area, created a large physical therapy space, renovated the reception area, and performed infrastructure upgrades to the heating/ventilation and air conditioning systems and electrical services – all of which will allow Saint Peter's to further impact the well-being of the most vulnerable in the surrounding communities, including those most affected by healthcare disparities.

To reduce food insecurity among its patients, the Family Health Center is launching The Saint Peter's Market stocked with fresh produce and nonperishable food, as well as personal care items including diapers, wipes and hygiene products. **STANDARD

Predictive analytics gleaned from screening data will assist in assessing patient's risk for illness and hospitalization based on social determinants of health.

"Always recognizing that we are our brother and sister's keeper, Saint Peter's has been addressing the diverse health needs of our community for over 116 years," said New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill, who spoke at last week's blessing. "This revitalized space will expand the ever-advancing range and quality of services available to our residents, ensuring that they receive the absolute best care in a modern and welcoming environment."

The expansion project was partly funded by a $5 million state budget appropriation.**BULLSEYE

"It is a marvelous facility and a wonderful accomplishment that the city of New Brunswick, the county of Middlesex, and all of us in the state of New Jersey are better because of the completion of this project," said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (D-19) in his remarks at the Family Health Center last week. "For so many of us here, this is an extension of our faith and I'm inspired by the commitment to care for the most vulnerable communities."

Key programs found at Saint Peter's Family Health Center include:

Pediatric Health Center

The Pediatric Health Center provides primary and specialty care for children from newborn to age 18, with more than 21,000 visits annually.

Administering more than 26,000 immunizations, with the addition of COVID-19 vaccines, the center is a leader in the Vaccines for Children program, a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who otherwise might not be vaccinated due to an inability to pay. Physicians are not only trained to be aware of a patient's medical needs, but their cultural and financial needs, as well.

Services include well care visits, urgent care visits, follow-up visits, immunizations and vaccines (including the COVID-19 vaccine), nurse visits for catch-up immunizations and seasonal flu clinics for established patients.

Adult Multispecialty Health Center

Each year, more than 6,000 patients 18 and above visit the Adult Multispecialty Health Center for their primary healthcare needs. Patients have access to the wide variety of medical services offered at Saint Peter's University Hospital including primary care medicine, diabetes self-management education, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nutrition education, prescription assistance program, social work and more.

Subspecialty care is also available including cardiology, hematology, infectious diseases, pulmonary and sleep medicine, rheumatology, surgical services, travel medicine, urology, wound care and more.

Because more than half of Saint Peter's patients speak a language other than English, most staff members are bilingual or use an interpreter system that can interpret over 100 different languages.

Women's Health Center

The Women's Health Center offers obstetrical care to women, from prenatal, intrapartum to postpartum care, as well as gynecological services. Services include nutritional counseling, social work referrals, financial counseling, ultrasound surveillance and co-management with referral to Saint Peter's Maternal Fetal-Medicine Division due to high risk factors, if needed. These patients account for approximately 1,500 deliveries and 19,000 obstetrical/gynecological outpatients per year.

For KEEPS Program

The For KEEPS program (Kids Embraced and Empowered through Psychological Services) is a short-term acute partial-hospitalization, state-of-the-art unit designed to help children 5-17, with behavioral health issues. The healthcare professionals at For KEEPS, which is a service of The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital, offer high-quality mental health diagnoses and intensive treatment to children who suffer from emotional and behavioral difficulties that impede their ability to function successfully in a social environment. Anyone can refer a child to this program, including schools, physicians, agencies and parents.

Dorothy B. Hersh Child Protection

The Dorothy B. Hersh Child Protection Center is a state-designated child protection center, providing crisis intervention, child abuse assessments and referrals to community resources. The Center has established working relationships with local offices of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP), prosecutors' offices, and many local mental health providers, pediatricians, schools and police departments within the seven counties of the state's central region. It was the only Child Protection Center in the state to stay open during the pandemic.

Maternity patients 18 and older can access behavioral health services under QIP-NJ (Quality Improvement Program-New Jersey) at Saint Peter's Family Health Center. Saint Peter's partners with behavioral health agencies in the community to provide services to these patients.

Physical therapy

As a part of its expansion, Saint Peter's Family Health Center now offers onsite physical therapy to patients 18 and older. Common ailments and conditions treated include low back pain/sciatica/sacroiliac joint pain, muscle/ligament sprains/strains, herniated discs, knee pain/hip pain, rotator cuff tear/tendonitis/impingement, pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, post-stroke rehabilitation, post-fracture rehabilitation and chronic pain.

Outpatient laboratory

To provide convenience to patients, the Family Health Center has added an onsite outpatient laboratory. Patients can have their lab tests done right where they receive their medical care, saving time and reducing the need for additional appointments, time off, and costly travel.

Community resources

It can be difficult to find resources and support services in the community. Based out of the Family Health Center, Saint Peter's Population Health team helps connect patients to community resources and services such as food pantries, mental health hotlines, tax preparation assistance, transportation services, housing resource guides and more. As a part of Saint Peter's commitment to its patients and its diverse community, Saint Peter's bilingual Resource Services team helps patients navigate and enroll in insurance and financial assistance programs.

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