(upbeat music) - Hey everyone.

Steve Adubato.

We kick off the program with our longtime friend, George Helmy, who is the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, and also an Executive Vice president at RWJBarnabas Health, one of the longtime underwriters of public broadcasting and of our programming.

George, good to see you.

- So great to be back with you, Steve.

Thank you for having me.

- George, talk about this initiative, "Our Healthy Communities" initiatives.

What is it and why does it matter so much when it comes to access, improving access to healthcare?

- Yeah, I mean, we're a singular in this space and we're so proud of this work.

I think as a system who has never left some of our more vulnerable communities where the social determinants of health seriously impact health outcomes, whether that be the city of Newark, New Brunswick, Jersey City, Rahway, Elizabeth, and so on.

You know, the idea was for us to be a true community anchor and how do we build not only the best technology and clinicians within our four walls, but really get out into the communities and make our patients, our families, and our communities healthy.

And so just in the last three years, we started this program in 2023, and just in the last three years under the leadership of Dr.

Balpreet Grewal-Virk, we've invested about a hundred million dollars really tackling the social determinants of health in a comprehensive way.

And, you know, that single individual who can't get access to primary care, who can't get a pharmacy, who can't get to their appointment because they don't have access to transportation, or they can't take the day off of their jobs, don't have access to healthy food, don't have a roof over their head, that same person presents over and over in our emergency department, A, never getting better.

B, that's the highest cost of care, and for a system like ours, the highest cost of under-imbursed or unimbursed care.

And so to connect that person with a community health worker who helped them navigate the federal or state resources they were available to access, and then in a singular place, we've made these investments in community partners and nonprofits and faith-based institutions.

So you can get all of that in one place.

And we're seeing the benefit, not just feel good, and you and I have talked about this by government programs who have names that sound like mom and apple pie.

This is real ROI, not only to a healthier community, but to the taxpayer.

Every dollar we put in, we're seeing returns of 3 to 6x from an economic return to the taxpayer.

- By the way, mentioning ROI, full disclosure on this, ROI our longtime media partner, ROI-NJ 2026 Power List.

George is listed on that.

Go check it out,the website of ROI is on there.

Some people who make a difference in our state.

Hey George, do this for us.

Help us understand this.

To what degree has the role of hospitals expanded exponentially as the need becomes greater and greater in terms of access to healthcare?

Because people go, "Oh, the hospitals have an emergency room.

They do surgery."

A lot of stuff we're talking about including this Harvest, farm to community center initiative, I'm thinking hospitals are doing more than ever.

- It's so true, and I think many are a little bit late to catch up to where we are, but we took this on early.

Again, being in these communities and believing that everybody, regardless of what zip code you live in, deserves access to the best care available.

And so we know as the state's largest academic health system, we already within our four walls have the best care, but we want to keep you out of our facilities.

And frankly, a lot of that, again, Steve is like, it's driven by the simple finances of healthcare.

Federal and state resources continue to deteriorate.

The "One Big Beautiful Bill", otherwise known as H.R.

1, will have catastrophic impacts on hospital finances.

So again, how do we, from a practical perspective and a policy perspective, make healthier communities?

So we have stepped out and said, we can be the anchor institution that delivers whole of service to that individual and that family.

A, keeping them outta the four walls of our hospitals and delivering better care outside of those hospitals.

And as you know, 'cause we've talked about this on this show and when I was in the Senate, access to that basic care, access to that primary care physician, if you can't get in there, you continue to deteriorate, you can't get your medication, where you get it from is your emergency department.

And we have taken painstaking steps to connect all of the dots to create a wraparound service through our community health program.

- It's interesting, George mentions his work in the Senate, the United States Senator, also the chief of staff to former governor, Phil Murphy.

You understand the role of government from a federal and a state level as well as local level.

To what degree is access or people's access to healthcare, particularly in more vulnerable communities, dependent upon beyond what RWJBarnabas Health and other solid healthcare systems are engaged in.

To what degree is it dependent upon government?

- I have said this before and I know it irks some of my former colleagues in the halls of Trenton and DC.

Government is a good payer of services.

They fund things.

They expect analysis and analytics to determine what's impactful for the taxpayer.

They are not a great provider of services.

And so what we've done with the funds provided to us under the Murphy and Sherrill administrations is take that fund, and really, again, it doesn't go to the bottom line of our institution.

It goes to fund faith-based institutions, which are a trusted source of truth.

It goes to fund the FQHCs, it goes to fund, as you were mentioning, Steve, transportation.

If you can't get to those places- - That's right.

- You can't get better.

And so we've invested in a partnership that's nearly statewide at this point, at least in our catchment area.

So if you need a ride to the FQHC or to our facility- - One second, George.

Federally Qualified Healthcare... - Federally Qualified Health Center.

- Thank you.

Guys, there's a lot of acronyms in healthcare.

- Yes, there are.

And in government, which makes it more complicated.

- Yeah.

- But allowing you a free Uber health ride to take you there and then connecting you with all the services, so working closely with Joe Di, Jo Di Vincenzo, the county executive in Essex and Nicole Fields, the CEO of St.

James Health in Newark.

That patient who goes to St.

James, gets all of those things I mentioned in one place.

They're not bouncing around to five places where we know they won't be able to get there.

- Hey George, the other piece of this, the food insecurity issue, talk about that and the role of RWJBarnabas Health and in responding to the needs of people that are food insecure.

They don't have enough healthy food that the rest of us often take for granted.

- This is something we're so proud of.

And, I remember, you know, my work with Senator Cory Booker, the senior senator in the state of New Jersey, and he would talk about healthy communities.

If you can get a Twinkie in closer proximity and cheaper than you can get an Apple, your health outcomes and frankly, your economic outcomes are going to be deteriorating.

And the work we're doing is, again, whole of system.

We've just partnered with a nation leading program in to provide healthy food to every single public school in the city of Newark.

So that kid in Newark now is getting a healthy meal, getting well-nourished, not just so they can have great food, that's all important, but because it's gonna impact their educational outcomes, their ability to pay attention, their ability to be nourished and be able to have a good day at school.

The Harvest kitchen in Newark, which you just mentioned- - Again, Harvest farm to community center?

- That's right, the Harvest, farm to Community Center, as you mentioned, will provide a kitchen for small businesses, for community members to come in, learn to cook, start their projects, have a space where they can work.

It's again, transformative opportunity dedicated in Halsey Street right next to Rutgers Newark.

It's transformative.

And we were so proud to launch that just last week.

Again, a massive investment in the millions outside of the four walls of our hospital.

- George Helmy, Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, again, full disclosure, longtime underwriters of public broadcasting.

George, thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you, Steve.

Like I always like to say, just thank you and thank you for your team for all the work you do.

It's vitally important today and always.

- Yeah, more than ever.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

The Adubado Center for Media Leadership.

NJM Insurance Group.

The North Ward Center.

PSEG Foundation.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

United Airlines.

And by Newark Board of Education.

Promotional support provided by CIANJ, and Commerce Magazine.

And by NJBIZ.

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