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[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC] - Hi, everyone.

Steve Adubato.

Welcome to a very compelling program that we kick off with our longtime friend and colleague, Linda Schwimmer, President and CEO of the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute.

Good to see you, Linda.

- Good to see you.

Thank you.

- Linda, describe the primary care physician shortage in the state.

A, how bad is it?

B, what do we need to do to address it?

- Well, Steve, thank you for having me on and talking about this important issue.

We have to start working on this issue now.

The shortage in primary care physicians is a lot worse than we thought here in New Jersey.

The Quality Institute undertook a study recently, it was just released in January and when we looked at the data that we got from the board of medical examiners, it showed that the data that had been previously reported on the number of primary care providers or physicians was really overstated.

And it is worse than we thought.

There's about 5,300 primary care physicians in the state.

Other reports had put it at over 8,000 and over 6,000.

But of those 5,300, a lot of those are working less than 32 hours a week even and it's an aging group of docs.

So we need to start focusing on this as soon as possible.

- Linda, let's do this.

Beyond all the statistics, which sometimes can be confusing to people, put it in context as to what it really means for people who need care from a primary care physician.

- Sure.

Today, and you may have experienced this, I know I have, many people struggle to find a primary care doctor, particularly if you're looking for, you know, if you're a new patient and you're calling around, and then if you are insured through Medicaid, which pays about half of what Medicare pays, it's even harder to find a primary care physician to see you.

- Why?

- There's not enough of them, like I just mentioned.

Second of all, in Medicaid in particular, they're paid about 50 cents on the dollar compared to, in Medicaid, they're paid about 50 cents on the dollar compared to Medicare and overall nationally, New Jersey is at the bottom quartile when it comes to reimbursement for primary care docs.

So what happens- - Why?

- Why?

You know, I don't know why.

We do not value primary care physicians the way we need to value them.

On your show, I hear about fantastic innovations that are happening, new cancer centers, amazing technology things, but when you really think about it, everybody needs to see a primary care doctor.

Everybody needs to have that home base for preventive care, for testing, for screening, somebody they trust and they can go to.

Not everybody's going to need the fancy new technology that's just been developed and is cutting edge.

- But, Linda, go back to the question I asked.

Now when I ask why is that?

And if you don't know why, the question is, is it a state public policy question that needs to be addressed by the governor and the state legislature?

Who is supposed to address this?

- The answer is that our state public policy, our leaders, the governor, the legislature, and also our medical schools, we all need to be looking at this data and be asking ourselves: Where is the need?

What are we seeing?

Why aren't we training more primary care docs?

And why are the ones that we are training leaving the state?

We have a huge percentage of the primary care docs we do train leaving the state.

So what can we do to train more, to incentivize them to go into primary care and to stay here in New Jersey and make New Jersey their home to be taking care of us?

- Well, Linda, haven't you just described why they leave?

If reimbursement rates for Medicaid are too low, the lowest in the nation, and some of the reasons for people, anyone, even including physicians, beyond their commitment to caring for patients is an economic issue, if they can't pay their bills and their staff and themselves...

So we know in part why they're leaving, but what I'm asking is if it's a question of raising Medicaid rates, who is supposed to do that?

- So there's a bill pending right now that would mandate that, it's sponsored by Senators Ruiz and Vitale, and then in the assembly it's Speight and Conaway that would do it, that would mandate it because the state voluntarily has not done that to date.

It could do it, but it hasn't done it.

So that's one step, and that's an important huge step.

And that bill has been pending.

- Where are the bills?

Are they moving through the legislature?

Are they moving through the respective health committees in the lower house and the upper house and the Senate?

- Yes.

So it got out of the senate last year, but did not move in the assembly.

It just moved again in the senate.

Just got out of the Senate Health Committee.

- Who's against it?

- You know, it's a matter of dollars and cents.

It's a matter of what we're prioritizing.

I don't think anybody is truly against it.

It's just looking for, you know, how to pay for it.

But to those people, I would say we're already paying for it because when we don't have good primary care, what happens is we see more emergency surgeries, we see people going to the emergency room, - More expensive.

- We see spending in ways that are not as effective and end up, actually we see more harm to patients.

- Last question is where's the governor on this?

- I do not know.

I think that the administration- - If you don't know, nobody knows.

(both laughing) - I would say this, I think it comes down to the budget and dollars and cents.

I think that everybody in this administration that I've spoken to realizes the value of primary care, but it's putting your money where your mouth is and making sure that the investment in primary care takes priority over other things.

And when I say primary care, I mean family medicine, OB, midwifery and mental health as well.

That's what this bill would do.

It would raise the 50 cents on the dollar to a full dollar towards primary care.

And those are all things that people struggle with.

They struggle finding that type of care.

I see people waiting 45 days or more, you know, just to get in for a visit.

- Linda Schwimmer is President and CEO of the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute.

We've had their website up, check them out.

They do important research and help us understand from an educational point of view why these medical and healthcare issues are so important.

And they have no horse in the race, if you will.

They are doing independent research and important work.

Thank you, Linda.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you so much.

Thanks for highlighting this important issue.

- And we'll continue to do that.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We're now joined by Dana Redd, who's President and Chief Executive Officer of the Camden Community Partnership and the former mayor of the great city of Camden.

Dana, good to see you again.

- Good to see you, Steve.

Thank you so much.

It's a pleasure to be here with you and to talk about Camden and Camden Community Partnership and all the wonderful work we're doing to advance progress here.

- Absolutely, and this is part of our "Urban Matters" series, done in cooperation with our partners over at Kean University and the urban institute that they have, research institute they have there, the John S. Watson Institute dealing with urban matters.

Dana, let me ask you this.

First of all, describe the partnership, A, and B, why you care on such a deep personal level about the city of Camden.

- Absolutely.

So the city of Camden is the place where I was born and raised, and quite frankly, I grew up believing that one day, Camden would come back.

It is an honor to serve as a president and CEO of Camden Community Partnership.

In fact, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year since our founding in 1984.

Many individuals may recall us as Cooper's Ferry Development Association when we were founded some 40 years ago, and our core mission at that time was really focused on developing the waterfront of Camden.

This was really an area where you had industrial brownfield sites that needed to be remediated.

And because of our organization, we have coordinated well over $600 million of public and private investment to transform this area into a mixed-use waterfront development that is home and anchored to the family entertainment venues, office, retail, along with residential loft and restaurant.

- Dana, let me ask you this.

Camden is sometimes described as one of the poorest cities in the nation, economic point of view.

People are struggling, and you know this better than I do and better than most.

From an economic point of view, is there any metric that will tell us that people are doing better financially in terms of jobs, economic stability, the ability to pay their rent, to own a home, just improve the quality of their lives?

- Absolutely.

Yes, absolutely.

- Please.

- Thank you for asking that question.

I think we've made significant progress since 2010 when I was in office and particularly under the leadership of Mayor Vic Carstarphen.

What we're doing here in Camden and through Camden Community Partnership, we've launched an initiative known as Camden Works.

And Camden Works is designed to streamline the connection between residents seeking employment and employers looking to hire.

And so I think the metric that best measures our progress in Camden is the unemployment rate.

During the pandemic, we reached almost 22%, the unemployment rate.

To date, we're trending downward.

Our lowest has been about 6.7%, and we're constantly monitoring that rate.

to make sure that we're doing everything we can to improve the quality of life for Camden residents.

- Corporations that have come into and/or stayed, I know Campbell's been there for a long, long time, right?

Campbell soup.

- Yeah.

- Who's come into Camden, A?

And B, what has it meant, Dana, in terms of the economy of the city and employment opportunities?

- So I'll say two things that are very important.

So one, the anchor institution strategy is still driving the local economy here in Camden.

- So- - Describe what that means.

- So that is our eds and meds.

So Cooper University Hospital just last year announced a $2 billion campus expansion.

So obviously, that's creating jobs, both permanent and temporary jobs.

Virtua Lourdes has announced a $500 million hospital expansion of their campus here in Camden.

But to your question and the companies that have decided to call Camden home, we have Holtec, New Jersey American Water, Subaru, the 76ers, ResinTech, IPAK, and so many others.

And so we're just really grateful that these corporations see the value in investing in Camden, not only dropping anchor here, but also creating job opportunities for Camden residents.

And I know they are very committed to making sure that they advance local hires and local sourcing to drive the economy in Camden.

- Well, it's interesting you triggered this question, Dana, because as a New York Knicks fan, you mentioned the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now is it their practice facility is in Camden?

Is that what it is?

- Yes.

It is their practice facility and administrative offices that is located right here in the city of Camden on the waterfront, and we are proud to host them.

- So let me just, hold on one second.

I'm also a Giant fan.

I'll get back to issues in a second.

Are you saying if you are from Camden, if you live in Camden, you are more likely to be a 76ers and a Philadelphia Eagle fan, who just got our great Saquon Barkley 'cause the Giants wouldn't pay him?

(Dana laughs) I'll come back to issues in a second.

- I know we'll come back to issues.

Okay, South Jersey supports the Philadelphia teams.

- Oh!

- We know we have a lot of Eagles fans in this area and a lot of 76ers fans.

- And the Phillies?

- And the Phillies, yes.

Camden is on board.

(laughs) - As a Yankee fan, I'm dying.

Okay, I'll go back to issues.

- Okay.

- This is a trigger.

Parks and neighborhood development, talk about it.

- Yeah, so, you know, we're really pleased and proud to partner with the county of Camden, who has invested well over $100 million in parks and open spaces in the city of Camden.

Our organization here at Camden Community Partnership, we actually manage those projects on behalf of Camden County, and we do it in collaboration with community-based organizations and our residents.

And so again, these particular spaces help to advance health and wellness in the city, but also help to anchor many of our neighborhoods.

- Real quick, is it true that you said Camden, quote, "is my life"?

- I think Camden is my passion and my life's work.

- And your life's work.

Your life's more than Camden, but it is your life's work and your passion.

But before I let you, I have to ask you this.

There have been national stories over the years about Camden related to crime.

The crime rate in Camden.

How are we doing?

- We're doing great.

We have a wonderful chief, in Chief Gabe Rodriguez, who works very closely with the mayor and with our community-based organizations and our faith-based leaders.

As you know, we've been recognized for our community policing model.

In fact, President Barack Obama visited the city back in 2015 - That's right.

- to tout our Camden County Police Department as a national model.

And so we continue to make strides in the right direction.

But again, this is a collaboration with the community and the police working together.

- Dana Redd is President and CEO of the Camden Community Partnership.

Dana, great to see you again.

I appreciate you joining us.

- Thank you for the opportunity.

We look forward to joining you in the future.

- You will.

I'm Steve Adubato, that's Dana Redd.

We'll be right back right after this.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We're now joined by Dr. Linda Stamato, Policy Fellow at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, at my alma mater, Rutgers University.

Good to see you, Linda.

- Nice to see you too, Steve.

Been a while.

(chuckles) - It has been, but this is an incredibly important conversation.

Now, Linda and her colleagues are involved in an initiative that, let me just read this direct quote, because it goes right to it.

"You're on an unrelenting crusade to save local journalism."

A., why?

B., what does it have to do with saving our democracy?

- Well, you know, when you think about it, the public, the creation by our founding fathers, to whom a lot of people like to turn back to, when they created the Public Post Office Act in 1792, one of the reasons for that, and the reason why newspapers got lower rates for their delivery is because they believed we needed this ecosystem, although I doubt they used that term, so that all the people got information that they needed so they could be part in the way they would be of their government.

So, I think it was Jefferson who said if he had a choice between government or newspapers, he would choose newspapers.

So, I think we've gotten to a point now where what was supposed to be a unifying thing has now become a dividing thing.

And in the last couple of decades, we lost one-third of our local papers, and we need to reverse that.

And there are some good signs, which I'll talk about if you like.

- Absolutely.

In this initiative called Press Forward, formed by 22 foundations and individuals to put $500 million into the effort to save local media.

- Right.

- Foundations and individuals committed to putting money behind the effort to save local journalism.

Is that because the economics of "local media," which is exactly what we're involved in as a not-for-profit organization.

- That's right.

Yeah, you know, and most - - So, are you saying we're gonna help them?

- We are.

You know, it took a while, because we'd been declining for so long, and all of a sudden it's like people woke up, "We don't have a paper anymore, we don't know what's going on."

And so even the New York Times is in the act of pushing for local news, obviously they need it.

How else would we have known about Flint Michigan's water problem if it hadn't been for a local newspaper?

So I think what we're seeing here is that philanthropists realized they have to move into the scene, take the place of some of the equity companies that are looking to squeeze out every last bit of revenue from the ones they acquire, and include a whole range of other people, individuals, and certainly some small organizations.

In fact, I think it was the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, has come up with 17 models that are now in play, and we're likely to see more.

That 500 million you mentioned from the press board, New Jersey's own Civic Information Consortium is now one of its, let's call it kind of an affiliated group, because it is trying, and I guess, getting, some of the money, as well as what it gets from the state, to help create something called documenters.

And that's to have citizens in each community trained to go to local meetings to help replace what has been lost by local journalists, so that they can report what's going on at the Zoning Board, and the Planning Board, and the Town Council.

So, there are ways in which we're trying to replace some of the people who have been lost, and also to create new forms of journalism.

So, while we may have lost several thousand, there are now 641 new digital newspapers, so that's a good sign.

Nonetheless, that's not keeping us even, we've gotta do a lot more.

- And along those lines, I mean, the Caucus Educational Corporation, particularly with our partners in public broadcasting, I mean, today, we were taping all day, Linda, and I'm not gonna toot our horn because it's not appropriate, but we engaged with several members of the state legislature, members of the United States Congress, local elected officials and others, about a whole range of issues that matter to peoples' lives.

Now, here's the thing, someone might say, "Well, yeah, what difference does that make, whether we in the media do that or not?"

And it's not to be political, but to put it out there, there are many people who believe that President Trump, when he called the media the enemy of the people, that we, in the media, are their enemy.

So why should they, the people, we the people, want to help us, if we're the enemy?

I didn't make that up.

(Linda chuckling) That's what President Trump said.

We're the enemy of people.

- I know.

I think it's pretty (laughs) astonishing when you think about it.

I guess you'll recall in the column I wrote, I said, "Why is it that the first time autocrats show up, the first thing they do is get rid of the free press?"

And that's because, obviously, if you're free and you're independent, you're gonna report what you're seeing and you're hearing, and the people who wanna be autocrats, or as one has said, "I'll be a dictator even for a day," that gives them the opportunity, let's call it, to eliminate any kind of threat to the view they want to propose, and follow their policies with respect to it.

So I think, you know, it's really two things, in a sense, Steve, and you're, you're really quite right.

And I'm so pleased that PBS and Judy Woodruff, who's been going around the country, talking to people about what it means, (Steve clapping) you know, to have lost your newspaper, and people realize that they have lost it.

But it's not just the news, on a grander scale, or on a regional, or a state, or a global basis, the local news also brings communities together.

We see our kids, and we know what's going on in the local theater, we know how the schools are performing, and what you get there is a way in which the local community can still stay relatively tied together, even if they may be divided politically, you know, on national or global issues.

And I think that's one of the probably underappreciated aspects of local journalism.

And I think nonprofits are going to make it a lot easier for some of that to happen.

- Wait, nonprofit what?

Organizations?

- Yeah, well, not nonprofit newspapers, I mean, I think they're getting, for example - - Hold on, Linda, I'm sorry for interrupting.

- Sure.

- I wanna be clear, when Linda, when Dr. Stamato uses the term nonprofit, we're a nonprofit, but I assure you, I spend well more than half of my time - - Raising money.

- Spending time raising money, trying to secure sponsors, underwriters, and keep them.

- That's right.

- So, I wanna be clear, nonprofit does not mean there's not an entrepreneurial spirit and the bottom line doesn't matter.

I'm off my soap box, go ahead, doctor.

- That's right.

I'm on the board of something called the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media, and it just purchased 14 newspapers from something called the New Jersey Hills Media.

That was profit making, but it wasn't making a profit.

(chuckles softly) - That's right.

- And in any event we are going to turn that into a nonprofit, it will allow us, obviously, to seek some grants, but it also means that you can serve other purposes, you don't have to worry about the advertising, although you certainly want sponsorship.

But I think it is probably the one form that's going to start thriving in the next several decades.

I think out of the recent group of 56, I suppose it was, that formed, almost all of them are locally owned.

And I think that's very important, because that's the local perspective, and those people know what's going on, and they know the people in the council meetings they're covering, and so forth.

So, I have a lot of hope for it.

And for example, the AP is - - A few seconds left.

Go ahead.

One of the things in local media, or any media, is we can't create more time.

So, final comments, go ahead, doctor.

- Yes, I think what's important now, Steve, is we see greater coordination and cooperation between the news media.

- That's right.

- Because we can't do it individually on our own, it's no longer a competitive business.

- We don't have that luxury.

That's why we partner with public broadcasting and other entities, because no one can do this alone.

- That's right.

- Dr. Linda Stamato, a PhD Policy Fellow at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Linda, I cannot thank you enough.

It's been too long.

I'm Steve Adubato, that's Dr. Stamato.

Local media matters.

We'll see you next time.

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

Celebrating 30 years in public broadcasting.

Funding has been provided by The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

PNC Foundation.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PSEG Foundation.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

NJM Insurance Group.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

And by Englewood Health.

Promotional support provided by The New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

And by Insider NJ.

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