Community Health Worker, Rideshare Programs are Creating Healthier Communities across New Jersey by Addressing the Social Determinants o

Long Branch – RWJBarnabas Health announced today the expansion of its highly successful Community Health Worker (CHW) and Rideshare programs to Monmouth County, marking another milestone in the organization’s mission to address social determinants of health and improve access to care across New Jersey.

The agreement between RWJBarnabas Health, which operates Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC), and Monmouth Family Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Long Branch, underscores the system’s commitment to building healthier communities through innovative, patient-centered support services and fostering local partnerships.

“RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center are deeply committed to Long Branch, as well as the broader Monmouth County communities we serve,” said Eric Carney, President and CEO of Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus. “By bringing these programs here, we’re taking meaningful action to ensure that everyone—regardless of their circumstances—has the support, resources and transportation they need to receive timely, quality care. This initiative reflects our shared mission to advance health access and strengthen community well-being.”

The Community Health Worker program connects individuals with trained CHWs who provide personalized assistance navigating medical care, social services and wellness resources. By partnering with patients in their own communities, CHWs help reduce barriers to care, improve chronic disease management, and promote overall well-being.

The Rideshare program complements these efforts by offering reliable, no-cost transportation for patients who need it to medical appointments, pharmacy visits, and other essential health-related services. This ensures that lack of transportation is no longer a reason for missed care, particularly for vulnerable populations.

“As we know, access to care is about more than just providing medical services—it’s about making sure our patients can actually get to them,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, Senior Vice President of Community Health at RWJBarnabas Health. “By expanding these programs to Monmouth County, we’re bridging gaps in transportation, strengthening trust within communities, and helping individuals achieve better health outcomes.  We are incredibly grateful for the state funding and local legislative support to advance these efforts.”

The expansion builds on RWJBarnabas Health’s longstanding dedication to community health improvement, with the CHW and Rideshare programs already operating successfully in several other counties. This move is part of a broader system-wide strategy to increase health access throughout the state.

“This collaboration with RWJBarnabas Health is a game-changer for the people we serve,” said Monmouth Family Health Center CEO Paul McCloud. “By combining trusted community health workers with reliable transportation options, we are removing two of the biggest barriers to care—access and mobility—and giving Monmouth County residents a real chance to take control of their health.”

The expansion of these critical services represents the latest in RWJBarnabas Health’s continuous investments to create healthier communities in Monmouth County that include: more than $35 million in improvements to MMC in Long Branch; construction of a new, state-of-the-art outpatient treatment and cancer center in Tinton Falls; embedding SNAP navigators in local hospitals, churches, libraries and other locations to help residents in need of food assistance; and partnerships with local schools and community organizations to provide health and nutrition education.

RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.

RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.

RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 44,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org