Community Health Survey Will Assist Robert Wood Johnson, Saint Peter's Serve Community

NEW BRUNSWICK – How would you describe your overall health?

What are the top three health issues or concerns in your community?

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How many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?

These questions and others are part of a Community Health Needs Assessment survey that will help Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and RWJBarnabas Health shape the way they go about caring for the community.

The information gathered by the survey, which is being conducted in concert with Saint Peter’s University Hospital and other health and social service organizations under the banner of Healthyear Middlesex, will inform and influence the hospital’s Community Health Improvement Plan.

“The survey is an important part of the information-gathering process so we can develop specific strategies to effectively address health challenges and raise the health status of our communities,” said Mariam Merced, the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Director of Community Health Promotions.

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The survey, which is available in eight languages, asks questions concerning access to health care, exercise and eating habits, recent medical care and mental health issues.

Since Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital first used surveys and other data to form its Community Health Improvement Plan nine years ago, mental health care has often been cited as community-needed, Merced said.

Merced said that has led to the creation of a mental health guide that has been continually updated with new information and has been streamlined for easier use for seniors, young parents and children.

Also, Merced said that the hospital has launched various initiatives to provide training and mental health care for those who work in that field.

“We are also doing a lot of mental health first aid for the providers, those who are the front-line staff, your nurses, physicians,” she said. “We did it for adults, now we’re doing it for the youth, for the nurses in the school system. This is training that will assist somebody when somebody’s having a crisis, to do it effectively, that we know where to refer. The original idea was that people are looking for services anywhere, and they show up to your food pantry and they’re having a crisis and nobody knew how to help. Sometimes it’s knowing what to say or to call 911. It’s what can we do to really help you now.”

The survey and other data has also underscored the need to address things such as food insecurity and homelessness that have a direct impact on health.

In response, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has created a food pantry that supports 40 pregnant women.

Similarly, The Market at Saint Peter’s, a bright, spacious space at the Family Health Center on How Lane, was officially opened last month. The Market provides fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and toiletries for about 50 families the hospital has identified as being in need.

Anyone 18 and older can take the survey. It’s confidential, takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and is available in eight languages: Arabic, simplified Chinese, English, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish and Hebrew.

The 2024-2025 survey can be accessed online through September.

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