Rutgers Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for HOPE Clinic in Plainfield, NJ
November 8, 2021
Image of the Daly family of Chairty Works, Frank Giannelli, Brian L. Strom, Gwendolyn M. Mahon, Matthew McQuillan, Elizabeth DiProspero, and Ted Diaco from the Diaco Foundation.
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The Health Outreach Practice Experience (HOPE) clinic and the Rutgers School of Health Professions’ Physician Assistant Program held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 13 to celebrate the grand re-opening of the clinic in a new location in Plainfield, NJ.
In July 2021, the Rutgers HOPE Clinic partnered with Charity Works and reopened in the new location – 1314 Park Ave – to continue to provide care for the uninsured. In addition to providing primary care to the community, this program showcases the role that Physician Assistant’s play in reducing health disparities by increasing access to high quality, patient-centered care. Aligning with the PA programs mission to both educate students and engage with the local community, students are exposed to a clinical setting early in their training and have an opportunity to learn first-hand how to address socioeconomic determinants of health.
Dean Gwendolyn M. Mahon, RBHS Chancellor Brian L. Strom, Chairperson Matthew McQuillan and representatives of the PA program joined to celebrate this accomplishment in a ceremony to acknowledge the work of the Rutgers faculty, students, staff, and community partners and donors, such as Charity Works and the Diaco Foundation, that make this program possible.
Historically, HOPE – a community-based service-learning program – has more than a decade-long history of partnering with communities with substantial health disparities. From 2016-2020, Rutgers HOPE clinicians and students partnered with Saint Mary’s Medical Clinic (SMMC) staff to care for the uninsured of Plainfield. In March 2020, the COVID pandemic led SMMC to cease in-person services permanently, eliminating this vital service, leading to the evolution of HOPE as we see it today.
Since the opening, more than 50 patients have been seen at the clinic, with numbers increasing each week.
The ribbon cutting ceremony can be re-played on our YouTube Channel.
For more information or ways to donate, please visit the HOPE Clinic website.
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About Rutgers School of Health Professions
The School of Health Professions (SHP), a division of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, is dedicated to excellence in education, research, and service to the community and our professions. SHP provides education for both entry-level health professionals and practicing health practitioners and researchers seeking specialty and advanced degrees. SHP is the largest, leading health professions school in the nation, with more than 30 programs at locations in Newark, Piscataway, and Blackwood, and as well as a global classroom, offering online learning opportunities, across the spectrum of health professions. Annually, the school educates approximately 1,700 students. For more information, visit shp.rutgers.edu