NEWARK, NJ — University Hospital in Newark recently launched a program that puts trained chaplains in the roles of "community healthcare workers," a move that garnered praise from several state and local officials.

Last month, administrators introduced a community health program that they said will "leverage and expand" existing partnerships between the hospital, the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, the Healthy Greater Newark Accountable Care Organization, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare. The new initiative will seek to improve health outcomes for Newark residents, lessen dependency on emergency services as a primary resource for medical attention, and improve access to primary care services, hospital administrators stated in a news release.

"University Hospital is excited to launch this community health initiative, which marks the beginning of an unprecedented collaboration between Newark's major healthcare providers and community-based organizations to provide holistic care to the Newark community," said Judith Persichilli, acting president and CEO of University Hospital. "By connecting our patients with community healthcare resources and providing them with a high-touch, people-centered approach, we hope to reduce the number of people seeking emergency services for complications that can be managed or prevented at home," Persichilli said. "Most importantly, we hope to further develop the trust of Newark residents in the care we provide so that they know they can rely on us for support in their everyday lives."

University Hospital administrators issued the following statement about the effort: "The Community Health Program is part of University Hospital's strategy to create a 'whole person,' relationship-based approach to health education and treatment in the Newark community. The first phase of this program will focus on the hospital's high utilizers of emergency services and will kick off with a pilot to implement the relationship-based 'Familiar Faces' model. The Familiar Faces model was originally developed by Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare's Center of Excellence in Faith and Health in Memphis, Tennessee, and utilizes trained chaplains in the role of a community healthcare worker. University Hospital will combine this program with the learnings from the ImPact model developed by the Penn Center for Community Healthcare Workers to lay the foundation for a first-class community health program in the Newark community." According to University Hospital administrators, as part of the program, two recently hired University Hospital chaplains will act as health and spiritual coaches, healthy lifestyle mentors, and liaisons between patients and the hospital.

Administrators stated:

"The chaplains will function in a non-denominational spiritual role, not restricted to any specific religion. They will work to establish a mutual rapport and trust with patients in order to identify the unique concerns and needs of each individual patient and establish better communication with their healthcare professionals. This will allow for better access to personalized high-quality care, social services, behavioral health care, and other resources." The hospital's announcement garnered praise from several key officials:

Governor Phil Murphy - "New Jersey is committed to building healthy, thriving communities. I applaud University Hospital for taking this step forward to improve the health and quality of life for the people of Newark and for recognizing that our health is largely impacted by life's challenges that occur outside the four walls of a hospital or doctor's office. Through this comprehensive approach we are making a commitment to not only acknowledge and address the medical needs of an individual but the complicating social factors in their lives, to ultimately improve both health and quality of life." Shereef Elnahal, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health - "I commend University Hospital for engaging the city's health care partners and trained chaplains to work together to improve residents' access to primary care and social services. This new pilot encompasses the core tenets of quality improvement in health care – evidence-based, collaborative, data-driven and considerate of the community and cultural environment that surrounds our patients."