NJ ACTS 4 Us! CONNECT is a publication of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical & Translational Sciences (NJ ACTS) Community Engagement Core, supported by the NJ ACTS CTSA grant UL1TR003017. NJ ACTS 4 Us!, a program of the NJ ACTS Community Engagement Core, is in partnership with Rutgers University Newark and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
NJACTS.RBHS.RUTGERS.EDU
FALL 2021
Empowering Our Communi ty Through Research, Scholarship, and Engagement
FOCUS: NJ HEROES TOO A University/Community Partnership Serving Essex, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union Counties
A Program of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science
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“Service to the community is a true core value . . . I strongly believe that to help reduce health disparities, underserved and underrepresented communities must be included in the study cohorts, and the most effective and ethical way to do that is to engage them throughout the study process.” Eric G. Jahn, Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School “Your project will provide key insights into the optimal strategies for responding to future public health emergencies and support our mission to assist African Americans and other minority group members in the achievement of social and economic equality.” Donna L. Alexander, President and Chief Executive Officer Urban League of Union County
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FALL 2021 Vol. I, No. 1
Welcome A Message from the Principal Investigators .02 NJ HEROES TOO: A Study in Community Collaboration .03
Letters of Support .06 Guiding Principles .08 Project Timeline .09 Profiles Principal Investigators .10 Project Faculty .13 Project Staff .15 Project Organizational Structure NJ HEROES TOO Organizational Structure .16 Study Team .17 Researchers’ Corner .18 Getting It Right in the Community .19 Co-Creation of Messaging .20 Partnering for Success Community-Based Organizations .23 Healthcare Organizations .27 NJ HEROES TOO In Action Photo Gallery .29
Photos: iStock/Getty Images
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
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DEAR COMMUNITY PARTNERS A s we deploy our collective effort to confront and address a global pandemic that has significantly impacted our nation and local communities, we have emerged with a stronger commitment to building a healthier, more equitable, and trustworthy society collectively. The N ew J ersey H ealthcare E ssential Wo R ker O utreach and E ducation S tudy— T esting O verlooked O ccupations, or NJ HEROES TOO project led by a dynamic multidisciplinary team at Rutgers University in collaboration with community-based and healthcare organizations embraced a new unique model for advancing community-engaged research. Our team is committed to helping to improve COVID-19 awareness in underserved communities. Our bi-directional engagement encompasses research, data, mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and principles that are cultivated in trustworthiness, reciprocity, respect, alignment, and transparency.
“Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”
—The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Community Engagement Classification
This work could not be accomplished without the dedicated commitment of our community partners. Having your pulse on some of the most vulnerable NJ communities impacted by COVID-19 really made the difference. Collectively, we were able to address and deliver much needed support and services, touch lives, and produce timely scholarly research. Our bi-directional communication allowed for researchers to engage with community in a meaningful, authentic dialogue that contributed to the development and design of marketing and culturally appropriate materials. We learned from each other! We shared with each other! We are a team—and together we can continue to help guide scholarly research around sound community engagement principles.
Sincerely,
Shawna Hudson, PhD • Diane Hill, PhD • Martin Blaser, MD • Manny Jiménez, MD, MS, FAAP Emily Barrett, PhD • Reynold Panettieri, Jr., MD Principal Investigators
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NJ HEROES TOO A Study in Community Collaboration A s COVID-19 devastated communities worldwide, in the United States the disease proved to be especially virulent among medically, economically, and socially vulnerable
swiftly moving COVID-19 vaccine research, clinical trials, and widespread and unprecedented media attention to glitches in the trials, coupled with a highly volatile political climate, recent anti-immigrant sentiment, persistent social justice unrest, an onslaught of information and misinformation, and the unprecedented response to the seemingly unrelenting disease, appeared to reawaken deeply rooted distrust and hesitancy. To better understand the reasons for the lower rates of COVID-19 testing as well as reservations about the clinical trials and vaccines, a transdisciplinary group of researchers from Rutgers University held conversations with diverse groups of community members. Despite a pervasive reluctance to be among the first to immunize due to fears about the vaccine, many Black and Latinx residents opted to deploy other methods to protect themselves. Many sought to mitigate exposure by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and washing hands frequently; looked for information from reliable sources; and relied on testing, but many encountered barriers when attempting to get tested.
populations. Although early victims tended to be elders and those with pre-existing health conditions, disease incidence, illness, and deaths emerged disproportionately higher among the poor and among Black and Latinx communities. While advanced age and health status are known predictors of worse health outcomes, the disparate impact on the poor and among underrepresented minority populations is attributed to a complex mélange of economic and social disadvantage—among these limited resources, inadequate living conditions, employment instability and healthcare access—as well as distrust, perceptions of medical bias and unequal treatment, and lived experiences. Early in the pandemic, New Jersey ranked second in per capita rate of COVID-19 deaths. Although these deaths occurred disproportionately in Black and Latinx communities, especially in Essex, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union counties, rates of testing were also observed to be profoundly lower. Reports of
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COMMUNITY COLLABORATION continued from previous page
Working collaboratively with trusted community leaders and health professionals through an initiative called NJ HEROES TOO, the Rutgers researchers sought to address messaging and test an intervention that would encourage COVID-19 testing among Blacks and Latinx and their families. In addition to Black and Latinx communities in general, the initiative would focus on healthcare workers and their families, essential workers in the response to COVID-19, who were also largely Black and Latinx. NJ HEROES TOO, an acronym for New Jersey Healthcare Essential WoRker Outreach and Education Study – Testing Overlooked Occupations, is a Rutgers-led study funded by a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Using the non-invasive Rutgers at-home saliva collection test, NJ HEROES TOO has three primary goals. It aims to (1) better understand COVID-19 testing patterns among underserved and vulnerable populations; (2) strengthen the data on disparities in infection rates, disease progression, and outcomes; and (3) develop strategies to reduce the disparities in COVID-19 testing. The study focuses on the Black and Latinx communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Essex, Middlesex, Passaic and Union counties in New Jersey, places where Rutgers academic medical centers are deeply rooted. “The success of the research depends heavily on our ability to get a total of 2,000 individuals across four counties to participate in the study,” stated Shawna Hudson, lead principal investigator of NJ HEROES TOO, professor of family medicine and community health, founding director of the Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and co-director of community engagement for the NJ Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science. Rutgers partnered with community-based and healthcare worker organizations in Essex, Middlesex, Passaic and Union “It’s important to empower our people to take an active role in their own healthcare and gain access to new research while helping themselves and others. NJ HEROES TOO’s publicly-engaged scholarship approach definitely is a win- win for the academy and the community.” José Carlos Montes, Chief Executive Officer Puerto Rican Action Board
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counties to co-design the study. Participating healthcare worker and community organizations include: Parker Health Group; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-New Brunswick; University Hospital Newark; Visiting Nurse Association Health Group; ASPIRA Association; Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, Inc.; Communities In Cooperation, Inc.; East Orange Senior Volunteer Corporation; Health Coalition of Passaic County; Jazz for Prostate Cancer Awareness ™ ; Mobile Family Success Center; New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP; New Brunswick Tomorrow; New Hope NOW Community Development Corporation; Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey; Programs for Parents; Puerto Rican Action Board; Sister2Sister, Inc.; The Bridge; Township of Hillside Senior Services and Recreation Center; United Way of Greater Union County; and Urban League of Union County. To date, more than 2,000 individuals have initiated the screening process facilitated through a community-based or healthcare worker organization. “Our collaboration with these entities is the quintessence of publicly-engaged scholarship,” added NJ HEROES TOO co-principal investigator, Diane Hill, assistant chancellor for university-community partnerships at Rutgers University–Newark and assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. “Publicly-engaged scholarship consists of interdisciplinary research conducted by faculty of an institution of higher learning in close collaboration with stakeholders of a target
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NOW Community Development Corporation. Headquartered in Newark, New Hope NOW provides a wide range of social services that promote upward mobility within the Greater Newark region. “The inclusive approach of NJ HEROES TOO helps to maximize the number of people who would like to participate in the study but might otherwise fall through the cracks without our involvement,” stated Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health consists of healthcare professionals and consumers who facilitate collaboration among the private sector, the public sector, and maternal and child healthcare providers to foster high quality coordinated maternal and child healthcare. Vilceus-Talty further stated that, “The community conversation salons allow us to continually learn from each other and give us the opportunity to meet with experts who are highly regarded in their respective disciplines.” José Carlos Montes, chief executive officer of the Puerto Rican Action Board (PRAB), agreed noting, “It’s important to empower our people to take an active role in their own healthcare and gain access to new research while helping themselves and others. NJ HEROES TOO’s publicly-engaged scholarship approach definitely is a win-win for the academy and the community.” A comprehensive human services organization, PRAB offers early childhood, youth, family, housing, and social services to more than 25,000 individuals and families annually in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, and Central New Jersey. Robert Rosati, vice president of research and quality at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Health Group, one of four healthcare worker organizations collaborating in the study, echoed the sentiments of the others. “It takes a village to protect, heal, and empower a community.” With more than 1,500 certified home health aides, therapists, social workers, and visiting nurses, VNA Health Group is New Jersey’s largest nonprofit community health provider of home health, hospice, and community services. “Community partners want to be involved in research that impacts their constituents,” said Hill. “It’s a matter of building trustworthiness and respecting the expertise the public brings to the table. Just reach out and extend community allies an invitation. In my experience, very few decline the offer.” “Our doors are always open to those whose interests intersect with the mission of the NAACP and who want to help us improve the lives of our community members,” confirmed Bruce Morgan, president of the New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP. The branch serves Bound Brook, East Brunswick, Franklin Township (Somerset County), Highland Park, Hillsborough, Middlesex Borough, Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Sayreville, Somerville, South Brunswick, and South River.
“Too often, community is left out of the research design and implementation. This project strongly values and embraces community expertise and complements the work of its community partners.” Francis Dixon, Executive Director
New Hope NOW Community Development Corporation
community, undertaken primarily to benefit constituents of that community,” explained Hill. “Publicly-engaged scholarship seeks to improve the lives of individuals beyond the boundaries of the university.” NJ HEROES TOO co-principal investigator, Manny Jiménez, assistant professor of pediatrics and family medicine and community health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Maria B. Pellerano, assistant professor of family medicine and community health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Hill spearhead engagement with community-based organizations. Jeanne Ferrante, a professor of family medicine and community health and director of the New Jersey Primary Care Research Network at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, coordinates the healthcare worker organizations. Representatives from the organizations began meeting in October 2020. The agenda consisted of design team meetings (also referred to as community conversations and salons) during which they assisted Rutgers researchers in devising tools for engaging Black and Latinx communities. The representatives also helped design messaging and educational materials and developed strategies to inform community members of COVID-19 testing and the NJ HEROES TOO study. Additionally, the organizations assisted with recruiting individuals to sign up for in-home saliva- based testing, identify resources for positive cases, and provided connections to local resources for future testing. “Moreover, with the help of the different partner organizations, we quickly formed focus groups and conducted interviews, which were key components of our community engagement model,” noted Ferrante. “Too often, community is left out of the research design and implementation. This project strongly values and embraces community expertise and complements the work of its community partners,” shared Francis Dixon, executive director of New Hope
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LETTERS OF SUPPORT
D uring the summer of 2020, NJ HEROES TOO received support from more than 50 stakeholders throughout New Jersey. Here is what state and local government officials, Rutgers University leadership, and representatives from community-based and healthcare organizations had to say about joining forces.
“I watched on the sidelines as my friends and former coworkers kept going to work, fearing for their lives and the lives of their family members. Though the curve has flattened, they continue to have concerns about what they might bring back home to their loved ones, while their employers are concerned with what they are bringing to the job and the patients they care for.” Marlene Guillaume Retired Certified Nursing Assistant
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“Recognizing the current needs and the future demands that will be placed on community-based organizations, we envision a renewed commitment to building the capacity to work more collaboratively with research institutions such as Rutgers University. This model provides services that benefit low-income families and the surrounding community . . . We choose partnerships over demise, collaboration rather than separation, innovation instead of stagnation, and vision above rhetoric.” Shavonda E. Sumter New Jersey Assemblywoman (D-35, Passaic County) Majority Conference Leader
“It is critical that diverse populations are represented at the research table . . . Novel and effective strategies like those described in your proposal, are needed to continue outreach and engagement efforts that build mutual respect, inform and educate, and provide opportunities for individuals, organizations, and populations to actively engage with researchers in a wide range of studies.” Amanda Medina-Forrester, Executive Director Office of Minority and Multicultural Health New Jersey Department of Health
Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University
*Developed by Rutgers University-Newark, Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement. 7 | N J A C T S 4 U s ! | Connect
Transdisciplinary Intergenerational Community Engagement Model (TICEM) T ICEM incorporates interaction and feedback from community-based stakeholders. Embracing each element in project or research design helps prospective university-community partners—- organizations, intermediaries, community residents and Guiding Principles of Community Engaged Research
stakeholders as well as university faculty, staff, and students— mitigate negative perceptions and fears that hinder productive and sustainable relationships.
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TICEM’S 11 PRINCIPLES
Involve community representation in all stages of program development and/or research design and implementation
Acknowledge and embrace value & encourage mutual respect among all parties inclusive of age, educational attainment, social status, etc.
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Build trust between stakeholders
Integrate expertise brought by the various stakeholders
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Leverage existing resources and opportunities
Address context and stimulate transformative change
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Foster reciprocity among stakeholders
Promote sustainable relationships and partnerships
Align goals & actions to produce usable information for all
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Harness opportunities for intergenerational interaction to promote sustainability
Engage neutral conveners to reduce biases and ensure smooth and effective implementation
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*Developed by Rutgers University-Newark, Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement. 8
NJ HEROES TOO TIMELINE
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NJ HEROES TOO brought together researchers, healthcare, and community partners in a collaborative effort led by the following six principal investigators. Principal Investigators
SHAWNA HUDSON, PhD (Contact Principal Investigator) Professor, Research Division Chief and Henry Rutgers Chair of Family Medicine and Community Health Director, Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Co-Director of Community Engagement, New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science
A three-time Rutgers University graduate, Dr. Hudson is a medical sociologist who specializes in primary care research with a focus on health equity. She has
committed her career to conducting community engaged research and cultivating trusted community partnerships. An internationally recognized leader who has written extensively on the role of primary care in long-term follow-up care for cancer survivors, she gets her inspiration and passion for this work through her service as a commissioner on the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research and as a volunteer with several local community groups. She leads and serves as a collaborator on multiple, multi-million-dollar studies funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute. Dr. Hudson has mentored more than 70 students, fellows, and junior faculty over her career and enjoys watching them thrive and pay forward their many blessings of success to the next generation of racially and ethnically diverse scholars.
DIANE HILL, PhD Assistant Chancellor for University-Community Partnerships, Rutgers University–Newark Co-Director, Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement
Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration Core Faculty Member, Rutgers Global Health Institute
Dr. Hill founded and directs the Office of University-Community Partnerships (OUCP) at Rutgers University–Newark whose mission is to promote community engagement and
create partnerships between stakeholders of Rutgers-Newark and the Greater-Newark region that support the anchor mission. Dr. Hill also founded and serves as co-director of the Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement (CHECE) which administers the Advocates for Healthy Living Initiative, a community-driven collaborative to improve the lives of older adults. Her scholarly work focuses on establishing foundations for strong, healthy communities; fostering community engagement in higher education; advancing healthcare equity and social justice; and improving urban education outcomes. Through research, lectures, collaboration, and service, Dr. Hill specializes in creating models for transdisciplinary university-community engagement and community-based participatory research. Her profound commitment to working with and improving urban communities has led to appointments on an array of national, state, and local commissions, boards, and councils. Dr. Hill earned a doctorate in Urban Systems jointly from Rutgers University Graduate School, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (formerly UMDNJ).
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MARTIN J. BLASER, MD Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine
A physician and microbiologist, Dr. Blaser’s work for more than 30 years focused on Campylobacter species and Helicobacter pylori, which are model systems for understanding the interactions of residential bacteria with their hosts. For the last 20
years, Dr. Blaser has studied the relationship of the human microbiome with health and important diseases including asthma, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. He currently serves as chair of the Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Prior leadership appointments include chair of the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Counselors, chair of the NIH Advisory Board for Clinical Research, and president of Infectious Diseases Society of America. Dr. Blaser holds 28 U.S. patents and has authored more than 600 original articles. His book, Missing Microbes, which targets general audiences, has been translated into 20 languages. His many honors and accolades include the Oswald Avery Award, Alexander Fleming Award, and Robert Koch Award.
MANUEL (MANNY) JIMÉNEZ, MD, MS, FAAP Assistant Professor, Pediatrics & Family Medicine and Community Health Director, Developmental and Behavioral
Pediatrics Education, Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Jiménez is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician whose work focuses on promoting optimal developmental outcomes for vulnerable children and making the health system more responsive to their needs. Dr. Jiménez uses quantitative, qualitative, and community-based participatory research methods to ask policy-relevant research questions as well as propose and test sustainable solutions to real-world problems
impacting children and their families. In all stages of his work, he partners with key stakeholders, including parents, community leaders, health professionals, and policymakers. Dr. Jiménez serves as the physician champion for Help Me Grow-NJ. He also served on the American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures Early Childhood Expert Panel. Dr. Jiménez earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he co- founded the Promise Clinic, a student run clinic developed in partnership with Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen.
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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS continued from previous page
EMILY BARRETT, PhD Associate Professor, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute Director, Epidemiology Concentration, Rutgers School of Public Health Co-Director, Epidemiology Core, Rutgers Corona Cohort Study Co-Director, Human Exposures and Outcomes Core, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
Dr. Barrett studies the early origins of health and disease, or how exposures early in life shape health and developmental outcomes. Because gestation is a particularly sensitive period when body systems are first forming, exposures during this period may
have profound downstream effects. Dr. Barrett is particularly interested in how prenatal exposures to environmental chemicals and psychosocial stressors impact pregnancy and children’s development. She leads two pregnancy cohort studies, TIDES and UPSIDE, both part of the NIH’s Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program, the largest study of the health and well-being of U.S. children. In TIDES, Dr. Barrett and colleagues are studying how prenatal exposure to certain chemicals impacts reproductive- and neuro-development, and whether the effects may differ based on gender. In UPSIDE, she and colleagues are examining the biological pathways by which prenatal psychosocial stressors impact children’s development, with an emphasis on sex steroid, inflammatory, and placental pathways.
REYNOLD A. PANETTIERI, JR., MD Vice Chancellor for Translational Medicine and Science Professor of Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Director, Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science
Director, New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., MD, Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School is renowned for his scholarship and comprehensive clinical care of patients with asthma and COPD. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Robert E. Cooke Memorial Lectureship at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting, the Joseph R. Rodarte Award for Scientific Distinction and the Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments from the American Thoracic Society. Previously, Dr. Panettieri served as the Robert L. Mayock and David A. Cooper Professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division of the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He also served as the deputy director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he remains Professor Emeritus. He is principal investigator on several NIH-sponsored grants and industry-sponsored clinical studies, and leads the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science. He is the author of over 475 peer-reviewed publications.
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Project Faculty A team of faculty from across Rutgers University were instrumental to the success of NJ HEROES TOO.
BENJAMIN CRABTREE, PhD
JEFFREY CARSON, MD Provost
JEANNE FERRANTE MD, MPH Professor
MARK BUDOLFSON, PhD Assistant Professor
Distinguished Professor Family Medicine and Community Health- Research Division Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Distinguished Professor of Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Family Medicine and Community Health- Research Division Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Center for Population-Level Bioethics and Department
of Environmental and Occupational Health Rutgers School of Public Health
MARIA PELLERANO MA, MBA, MPH Assistant Professor
DANIEL HORTON MD, MSCE Assistant Professor Pediatrics Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Assistant Professor Epidemiology Rutgers School of Public Health
LAURA PIZZI, PHARMD, MPH Director Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics Program Professor Pharmacy Practice and Administration
PANAGIOTIS GEORGOPOULOS, PhD Professor
Family Medicine and Community Health Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice Rutgers School of Public Health Professor, Pharmacology Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
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PROJECT FACULTY continued from previous page
JASON ROY, PhD Professor and Department Chair Biostatistics and Epidemiology Rutgers School of Public Health
ZORIMAR RIVERA-NUÑEZ PhD, MS
ALFRED TALLIA MD, MPH Professor and Department Chair
Assistant Research Professor Biostatistics and Epidemiology Rutgers School of Public Health
Family Medicine and Community Health Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
“The overall goals of RADx-UP to increase testing and preventing COVID-19 is even closer to my heart as I lost my father to the disease in early April. Seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Black and Latinx communities disproportionately, keeping people safe by having them tested is both a personal and professional mandate.”
Chris T. Pernell, Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer, University Hospital, Newark
“In my 15 years of experience in healthcare and 10 years of experience as a CNA [certified nursing assistant], I have never been approached to share my professional opinions in research. Oftentimes, the voices of my fellow CNAs, HHAs [home health aides], custodians, maintenance workers, and dining services workers are overlooked and considered insignificant because we are not physicians or traditional nurses . . . I am glad that your team recognizes that we are NJ HEROES TOO and that we have valuable insight to offer in the fight against COVID-19.” Marian Cato, Certified Nursing Assistant, Parker at Monroe
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Project Staff
DONITA DEVANCE, MCRP Associate Director Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity
MYNEKA MACENAT, MPH Research Associate
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Research Division Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Role: Community Coordinator
and Community Engagement Rutgers University–Newark Role: Community Liaison
MARSHA GORDON, MPH Executive Director Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care Research Division Administrator Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Research Division Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Role: Program Coordinator
YVETTE ORTIZ-BEAUMONT, MPA Associate Director Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity
BRITTANY SULLIVAN, MSPH Research Associate Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Role: Program Navigator
and Community Engagement Rutgers University–Newark Role: Administrative Liaison
SARAH ABBAS, MS Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science JUDITH ARGON, MA, MTS New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science TRACY ANDREWS, MS Rutgers University Biostatics & Epidemiology Services Rutgers School of Public Health ALICJA BATOR, MPH Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Research Division Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School CASANDRA BURROWS, BS Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Sciences
JONATHAN CARTER, MBS Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Sciences ANDREA DAITZ, MA
NICOLE HERNÁNDEZ, MS, CHES Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care Rutgers Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School JENNA HOWARD, PhD Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Research Division Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School DANIEL LIMA, MSW Child Health Institute of NJ Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School EPIPHANY MUNZ, BA, MPA STUDENT Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity
NANCY REILLY, RN, MS Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Clinical Trials Office New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science VEENAT PARMAR, MPH Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School KATHERINE PRIOLI, MS Rutgers University Center for Health Outcomes, Policy, & Economics WILLIAM RUSSELL, RPFT, AE-C Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science Child Health Institute of New Jersey
RWJMS Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care BETSAIDA FRAUSTO-GONZALEZ, BS RWJMS Center Advancing Research and Evaluation for Person-Centered Care PATRICIA GREENBERG, MS Rutgers University Biostatics & Epidemiology Services Rutgers School of Public Health SHERRI GZEMSKI Clinical Research Center Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
and Community Engagement Rutgers University–Newark
Ancillary Staff DARLENE BONDOC
MILA DUNBAR, MBA Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science Child Health Institute of New Jersey
JENNIFER ZABALA Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Rutgers School of Public Health
Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Volunteers/Interns BRITTANY CARDONA, BS STUDENT Office of University-Community Partnerships
BRYANA CHAMBA, BA STUDENT Office of University-Community Partnerships School of Arts and Sciences Rutgers University–Newark ASSITAN DRAME, MPA STUDENT Office of University-Community Partnerships School of Public Affairs & Administration Rutgers University–Newark
JEFFERSON EBUBE, MD CANDIDATE Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School SHIVANI PATEL, MPH STUDENT School of Public Health Rutgers University–New Brunswick
School of Arts and Sciences Rutgers University–Newark MARIA GUEVARA CARPIO, BS School of Environmental and Biological Sciences/ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers University–New Brunswick
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NJ HEROES TOO ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
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STUDY TEAM
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RESEARCHERS’ CORNER
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T he main goal of the NJ HEROES TOO initiative was to identify community-based outreach strategies that could improve access to COVID-19 testing in underserved communities. As part of this initiative, we tested different outreach strategies in four NJ counties with large Black and Latinx communities that were among the hardest hit during the early stages of the pandemic. Our team strongly believes that in order to develop an effective intervention, the people who it is meant to serve must be part of the design process. As researchers, we need to learn from community members and ensure their perspectives are addressed in a meaningful way. This first paper from the NJ HEROES TOO initiative represents an initial part of this process. With the help of our community partners, we recruited Black and Latinx community members and healthcare members to better understand their experiences during the pandemic and their perspectives on COVID-19 mitigation behaviors (for example mask wearing),
testing, and vaccines. We used group interviews, a qualitative research method, which are uniquely suited to elevate the voice of communities that too often go unheard. We found that fear, illness, and loss experienced during the pandemic
motivated intense information seeking, preventive behaviors, and testing. However, vaccine skepticism was high, with distrust expressed by
Black participants. The perspectives shared by participants played a critical role informing the outreach strategies we went on to test in the next phase of the work.
To view the article go to : jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2781957 .
Citation: Jimenez ME, Rivera-Núñez Z, Crabtree BF, Hill D, Pellerano MB, Devance D, Macenat M, Lima D, Martinez Alcaraz E, Ferrante JM, Barrett ES, Blaser MJ, Panettieri RA Jr, Hudson SV. Black and Latinx Community Perspectives on COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors, Testing, and Vaccines. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jul 1;4(7):e2117074. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17074. PubMed PMID: 34264327.
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Photos: iStock/Getty Images
How to Get it Right in the Community I t’s been said that if you’re going to build a better mousetrap, be sure to leave room for the mouse. Likewise, if you’re going to design a better community-based research project, be sure to leave room for input from community partners. This inclusive approach guides the successful best practices behind NJ HEROES TOO, a scholarly research project across Essex, Middlesex, Passaic and Union counties with three primary goals:
consideration all aspects of our community, we created all materials in English and Spanish. We also had over 30 imagery selections to represent diverse communities and had multiple ways for people to access the study’s screening tool, including QR codes, a URL and a phone number to call. With the help of the community members we were able to appropriately tailor the pieces and messaging as best we could for our diverse audiences. Additionally, the organizations assisted with recruiting individuals to sign up for in-home saliva-based testing, identify resources for positive cases, and provide connections to local resources for future testing. With the help of the different partner organizations, the team was also able to quickly form focus groups and conduct interviews, which were key components. The regular exchanges of information and an open communication format allowed the team to remain flexible and learn from each other. Every meeting provided a chance to course-correct and refine messaging, which became evident when vaccinations began to roll out. “Community partners want to be involved in research that impacts their constituents,” said Diane Hill, assistant chancellor for university-community partnerships at Rutgers University–Newark and assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. “It’s a matter of building trustworthiness and respecting the expertise the public brings to the table. Just reach out and extend community allies an invitation. In my experience, very few decline the offer.”
t B etter understand COVID-19 testing patterns among underserved and vulnerable populations
t S trengthen the data on disparities in infection rates, disease progression, and outcomes
t D evelop strategies to reduce the disparities in COVID-19 testing
During design team meetings, they assisted Rutgers researchers to devise messaging and education materials for engaging Black and Latinx communities, including county- specific flyers, toolkits, infographics, emails, social media, door hangers, posts cards, and videos. Their feedback on all pieces is key because they know their community members better than anyone. Messaging at every stage was meticulously planned, and continues to be evaluated as we move forward. Taking into
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CO-CREATION OF MESSAGING . . . NJ HEROES TOO along with community and healthcare partners contracted with SmithGifford to develop marketing tools representative of stakeholders. The tools included text, email and social media messaging; door hangers; signage; postcards; and videos.
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. . . ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY
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Community and Healthcare Organization partners are the backbone of NJ HEROES TOO, as they provide advice, guidance, advocacy, and community connections for a unique and robust university/community collaboration. Partnering for Success
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Community-Based Organizations
ASPIRA ASPIRA, Inc. of New Jersey (ASPIRA NJ) is a private, nonprofit community-based organization
Communities in Cooperation Communities in Cooperation, Inc. (CIC), a Human Services Organization servicing Essex and Union County in Northern New
founded in Newark, New Jersey in 1968 by a group of parents and community leaders distressed by the high dropout rates of Hispanic/Latinx students. Since its inception as a small storefront in Newark, ASPIRA NJ has grown into a statewide organization, and has operated in cities such as Camden, Pleasantville, Jersey City, Paterson, Vineland, Long Branch, and the City of Newark. ASPIRA NJ is an Associate of the ASPIRA Association. The ASPIRA Association is the second largest national Hispanic organization in the United States, providing services to over 5,000 communities. Each associate operates a variety of programs that grow out of the specific conditions and needs of their own communities. As an ASPIRA affiliate, we are dedicated to empowering primarily the Hispanic community and other minorities through the development of its youth. Our basic belief is that the path out of poverty must be through education. ASPIRA NJ implements a variety of evidence-based youth development, workforce development and social service programs designed to promote self-sufficiency within the Hispanic/Latinx community.
Jersey, was established in 2004 and became a tax-exempt 501(c)3 entity in 2005. In its infancy, CIC functioned as a social services office in Newark, NJ, and has since branched out to locations in Linden and Roselle, NJ. With the opening of a second Newark location, CIC offers employment services and other general human services for people of all ages. Communities In Cooperation owes much of its early success to generous support from The Nicholson Foundation. The full range of programs and services available through Communities In Cooperation are designed to collectively connect communities to the services necessary to strengthen families and individuals using a holistic approach. East Orange Senior Volunteer Corporation
The East Orange Senior Volunteer Corporation’s (EOSVC) mission is outreach and support to the senior and disabled population in the City of East Orange. EOSVC partners with the East Orange Division of Senior Services
Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, Inc
(DOSS) who’s mission is to “serve as advocates on behalf of East Orange residents by providing love, quality resources, events, activities, information, and outreach that fulfill the needs of our clientele”. East Orange is home to approximately 65,000 residents, approximately 89% of which are Black or African American, and the poverty rate is 19%. Jazz4PCA
Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, Inc. (CJFHC), was originally organized through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1988. Established in 1992, CJFHC is a leading private
non–profit 501(C)3 organization licensed by the NJ Department of Health and part of a regionalized maternal and child health (MCH) system. CJFHC’s mission is to improve the health of women of childbearing age, infants, and children in the region through the collaborative efforts of member hospitals, providers, and consumers. The primary service area includes Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties with special focus on high-risk cities such as New Brunswick, Trenton, and Perth Amboy. In 2019 alone, CJFHC implemented four community education programs in Middlesex County reaching just over 3,000 individuals. Moreover, nearly 55% of the program participants identify as Black, Latinx, or Asian. The 15 member staff, consisting of community health workers, home visiting family support workers, and public health educators provide education and centralized access to a range of capacity- building services that include public health messages and linkages to providers, social services, and referrals, with the goal of improving individual and family health and wellbeing.
The mission of Jazz for Prostate Cancer Awareness (Jazz4PCA) is to advocate for men’s wellness by supplying accurate information about prostate cancer, providing access to free or low-cost screening, and to increase exposure to live Jazz music. The team at Jazz4PCA is committed to raising awareness within the community, supporting families, and advocating for prostate
cancer survivors. In addition, Jazz4PCA partners with qualified healthcare practitioners in research opportunities that would have a greater impact on the communities it serves. Jazz4PCA was birthed in honor of NYC’s legendary jazz trombonist, James “Jimmy” Stowe, who succumbed to prostate cancer at the end of a five-year battle, at age 61. During his treatment, each of his brothers, Phillip, Ralph, and Wendell, underwent a successful
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COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS continued from previous page
New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s
prostatectomy, precipitated by the benefits of an early cancer screening. Encouraged by renowned urologist, Dr. Isaac Kim, PhD, MA, MBA, Ralph quickly became an advocate for the education and early detection of this men’s health epidemic. Conclusively, it was his brother James’ influence within the jazz community that impelled Ralph to launch the Jazz for Prostate Cancer Awareness ™ charity in his honor. Health Coalition of Passaic County The Health Coalition of Passaic
oldest and largest civil rights organization. From the ballot box to the classroom, the thousands of dedicated workers, organizers, leaders, and members who make up the NAACP continue to fight for social justice for all Americans. The New Brunswick Area Branch is one of over two thousand NAACP local units nationwide. The branch was chartered to serve the following municipalities: Bound Brook, East Brunswick, Franklin Township (Somerset County), Highland Park, Hillsborough, Middlesex Borough, Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Sayreville, Somerville, South Brunswick, and South River. The demographic profile of the NAACP branch membership is primarily African American, but it also has White and Hispanic members.
County (HCPC), founded in 2017, is a collaborative
effort of 18 Board members and 50 Community Advisory Board (CAB) members from a wide range of community organizations who share the common aim of improving the health of the underserved in the City of Paterson and the greater Passaic County area. HCPC values grassroots engagement and the elevation of diverse voices from across the community to become the bridge between clinical needs and community resources. HCPC works in strong partnership with health systems, public health and governmental agencies, community-based organizations, and many diverse community partners to serve at-risk populations across Passaic County. HCPC serves a diverse community with Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics accounting for over 50% of our residents. Additionally, HCPC works with analogous New Jersey community coalitions (Camden, Trenton, and Newark), to incorporate best practices and lessons learned. HCPC continues to expand in partnership with additional organizations joining the HCPC Community Advisory Board and are actively working together to create a healthier and more equitable Passaic County. Mobile Family Success Center
New Brunswick Tomorrow For more than 40 years, New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) has driven social revitalization for the city by taking on the
issues that matter most to city residents and families, impacting the lives of 56,000 individuals who are 49% Latinx, 16% Black and 75% low-income. NBT was founded on a vision that serves as a guidepost for the city’s revitalization, where all New Brunswick residents have the opportunity for a high quality of life; including but not limited to education, employment, food, health, housing, and safety. Through a shared value of community and partnership, NBT has brought diverse interests to the table to inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen the community. NBT is building on its successes to better the lives of the residents of New Brunswick, while also driving change to move people forward.
The Mobile Family Success Center (MFSC) of Middlesex County is a community-based, family-centered program, utilizing neighborhood gathering places where any community resident can go for family support, information, and services.
New Hope Now Community Development Corporation The New Hope Baptist Church has always been a staple of service and pride throughout the community at large. New Hope began its services
The program currently focuses on bringing services to East Brunswick, Edison, North Brunswick, Piscataway, and Sayreville, but events are open to all residents of Middlesex County. Started in 2013, the Mobile Family Success Center seeks to strengthen individual and family functioning and empower people to acquire the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to succeed and to provide an optimal environment for children’s development throughout Middlesex County. The Mobile Family Success Center of Middlesex County is operated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, and administered by the Middlesex County Human Services Advisory Committee with funding from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.
as a “mission” and organized its Community Development
Corporation in 1999. New Hope Now Community Development Corporation (NHNCDC), a State of New Jersey 501 (c3) non- profit, was created and founded by Pastor Joe A. Carter, and the leadership of The New Hope Baptist Church, as the social services branch of the church. New Hope Now Community Development Corporation was established to meet the social, economic, and Health and Wellness needs of the community.
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