Community Outreach Committee (COC)
2004 Community Outreach Summary

From houses of worship in the Central Ward, to senior centers in the West Ward, to community-based organizations in the East Ward, University Hospital circled the city in 2004 to bring health education to Newark’s various communities. Through a number of different outreach initiatives, the hospital touched the lives of thousands of Newarkers. Our efforts, made possible through the University Hospital Community Outreach Committee (COC), taught people how to live healthier lives and become better stewards of their overall health.

Partnerships: Working Together to Better Serve Others

American Heart Association/WWOR-TV UPN 9
In recognition of Black History Month, University Hospital partnered with the American Heart Association and WWOR-TV UPN 9 to bring free blood pressure and glucose screenings to the community. Held at ten locations throughout Newark, the partnership led to 1,182 people being screened.

The hospital also worked with the American Heart Association to provide free cholesterol screenings. The initiative, designed exclusively for women in recognition of February’s “Heart Month,” also introduced the Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. “Go Red for Women” was the organization’s national call for women to take charge of their health.

University Hospital partnered with the American Heart Heart Association for their “Go Red” campaign, which was launched at the Women in Support of the Million Man March Mansion.

Office on Aging
University Hospital, New Jersey Medical School Department of Family Medicine, and the Newark Office on Aging joined forces to provide a comprehensive health education program in four Office on Aging sites: Bethany Senior Center in the Central Ward, Ironbound Senior Center in the East Ward, South Ward Senior Center in the South Ward, and Stephen Crane Elderly in the North Ward.

Seniors at Office on Aging sites will be visited quarterly thanks to an initiative led by Dept. of Family Medicine physician Dr. Cynthia Paige (l), and Newark Office on Aging’s Phil Orando and Vernell Williams.

The Sharing Network
University Hospital and the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network established “Communities of Caring,” an initiative to recruit organ donors. Sharing Network representatives joined the COC at various outreach events, resulting in 400 new organ donor cards being signed.

House Calls for Seniors
As part of the newly-created House Calls for Seniors Program, Doreen Monks, the hospital’s Advanced Practice Nurse for Community Outreach, along with Keerti Sharma, MD, visited seniors at two New Community Corp. housing complexes (180 South Orange Ave., and 545 Orange Street). The pair also took their services to Ironbound Community Corporation sites. During the visits, seniors were examined in their homes, then referred to University Hospital for assessments and diagnostic tests. The program is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Medical School,
Division of Academic Medicine, Geriatrics and Community Services.

Doreen Monks, APN, (r) in action during an ICC visit.

Ironbound Community Corp. (ICC)
A consistent presence, combined with consistent education, equals health education success. This philosophy led to the hospital’s collaboration with Ironbound Community Corporation, a community-based organization serving Newark’s East Ward. Through the program, participants received on-going health education, screenings and follow-up visits at various Ironbound Community Corporation sites.

Special Events and Programs

Newark Health Renaissance Senior Health Day
University Hospital hosted Senior Health Day as part of the Newark Health Renaissance program, a three-day health initiative featuring various health-related activities throughout Newark. Nearly 100 seniors attended.

3rd Annual Stroke Alert Week
Stroke Alert Week is sponsored nationally by the American Stroke Association. Our local contribution for this effort included free stroke risk assessments at four locations throughout the city.

Phoebe Aliparo, RN (r) during Stroke Alert Week.

Relay for Life
The hospital was proud to participate in the American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life, an overnight event where teams walk relay style to raise money for ACS. The UMDNJ/UH Utopians (a team of nine) raised over $4,000 and won first place for fund-raising!

4th Annual Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Health Festival
Latinos and African-Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates. The Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine sponsored this event to encourage people of all ages to be tested.

Wellness Wednesdays
The hospital created “Wellness Wednesdays” with Paradise Baptist Church, our neighbors on 15th Avenue. Through the program, the hospital provided monthly heath education lectures and screenings.

Islamic Cultural Center
Near the end of 2004, the hospital developed a program at the Islamic Cultural Center in downtown Newark that provides free health education programs and screenings. The program is held on the second Friday of the month. There is more to come in 2005!

From University Hospital’s tour team: (l) to (r) Denise Dudley, Curtis Lang, Carla Alves, Carla Colon, Minister Mable Griffin and Robert Perry.

The University Hospital Community Outreach Program is directed by
the Dept. of Marketing & Media Relations:

Robin Preisler, Executive Director
Tiffany L. Smith, Community Marketing Coordinator
Rogers Ramsey, Chief Hospital Spokesperson

University Hospital is proud to have worked with the following groups
during the past year. It was our pleasure to serve you!

University Hospital thanks the following staff members for their
commitment to community outreach excellence: