Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Partners with Mexican Consulate to Offer Preventive Health Care Programs

(New Brunswick, NJ - August 1, 2024) -Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, and the Mexican Consulate in New Brunswick, NJ, have entered into a formal agreement to provide access to health care services, health prevention and educational initiatives and health screening services to Mexican nationals. The services will be coordinated through the hospital's Community Health Promotions Program.

Under the agreement, RWJUH and the Consulate will partner to develop the Ventanilla de Salud "to improve the physical and mental well-being of Mexicans living in the United States." The initiative will feature RWJUH Community Health Promoters (Promotoras) who will be present at the Consulate to provide information about primary and preventive health care services as well as eligibility for public services, provide quality and culturally sensitive services; and work towards reducing the use of emergency services to have care delivered in the most appropriate setting.

"When the Consulate opened its doors in New Brunswick in 2023 it provided much-needed access to services for Mexican nationals living in New Jersey; and we were excited to work closely with the team there on health-related programs in the community," said RWJUH President Alan Lee. "This historic agreement also supports our health care system's credo, which states: 'We honor and appreciate the privilege of creating and sustaining healthier communities, one person and one community at a time.' "

The Consulate is located at 390 George Street, Suite 100 in New Brunswick.

"The Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick is honored to partner with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, which has a strong presence in the community, to serve as our Ventanilla de Salud and provide preventive health services and information to Mexicans in New Jersey that visit our office," said Head Consul Mariana Diaz. "We look forward to working together to enhance the well-being of our community and promote a culture of health."

"We have been working closely with the Consulate on programs in the community since it opened in 2023," explained Mariam Merced, MA, Director of Community Health Promotions for RWJUH. "Formalizing our partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to increase access to health care services in culturally sensitive and equitable ways, while also addressing key social determinants of health in the Mexican community."

Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

In 2023, Mexico opened its first consulate in New Jersey in New Brunswick. Previously, Mexican nationals in New Jersey were served by the Consulate General of Mexico in New York.

Consulates offer a wide range of services including the issuance of passports, passport renewals, consular ID cards, powers of attorney and the registration of the United States-born children of Mexicans who live in the United States for dual citizenship. Consulates also provide information on health, education, and financial literacy to Mexican nationals, as well as referrals for legal consultations on immigration, civil, labor and other issues.

New Brunswick is home to the second-largest population of Mexican nationals, behind only Passaic, in New Jersey.

About the Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick

The Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick is the 53^rd consular office established by the Mexican Government in the United States. It opened its doors in August 2023 and provides a wide variety of documentation services to Mexicans in New Jersey, such as passports, consular identifications, voter cards, birth certificates, dual citizenship, wills and testaments, and powers of attorney; as well visa services for individuals looking to travel, work and/or live in Mexico. The office offers an array of programs to empower and promote the well-being of the Mexican community in topics like education, financial education and health, among others. Additionally, the Consulate offers attorney referrals to ensure that Mexicans living in New Jersey know their rights and have access to reliable legal resources to address immigration, civil, family, labor and other matters. Lastly, Consulates also serve as a link between Mexico and its communities abroad by promoting Mexican culture, history and traditions.

To learn more about the services provided by the Consulate, please visit their website. To learn about the Consulate´s activities, please follow: @ConsulmexNB (X and Instagram) or Consulado de Mexico en New Brunswick (Facebook).

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 628-bed academic medical center that is New Jersey's largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a nationally-ranked 2023-24 Best Children's Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women's health. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH's New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. Learn more at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick or www.bmsch.org

RWJUH has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence and being named to Newsweek's 2023 list of Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers. The RWJUH Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center has been recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association as meeting The Joint Commission's standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Advanced Certification. RWJUH has also earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification for Spine Surgery; The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Bariatric Services; and The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Hip and Knee Replacement services. The Joint Commission also awarded RWJUH a Gold Seal Certification as well as an Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation.

For more information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick.

Contact:

Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
732-937-8568