Take Five with Sarah Wolf, MAS, RN, BSN, CCM, Senior Program Officer – Policy at the Quality Institute, and Jamie Agunsday, MA, MSN, RNC-OB, FAWHONN, Program Officer – Quality at the Quality Institute. Take Five with Sarah Wolf, MAS, RN, BSN, CCM What drew you from clinical care originally into health care quality and policy?…Read More…

Lori Feldstein, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey (GOCCNJ), a member of the Quality Institute’s Consumer Council. New Jersey’s new Medicaid Community-Based Palliative Care benefit officially launched on April 1. Can you explain what this benefit is, who it is designed to support, and why this…Read More…

Amy Fisher, Program Director at Rutgers Project ECHO, a member of the Quality Institute’s Education Council, Institutes of Higher Learning. Project ECHO expands access to specialty knowledge to frontline health care providers in New Jersey. How has the program evolved to address New Jersey’s most pressing health needs? Since our inception, Rutgers Project ECHO has…Read More…

Dovid Friedman, M.D., CEO of CHEMED Health Center, an FQHC and member of the Quality Institute’s Provider Council. How do you describe CHEMED’s role in its community and the breadth of its services? First, we have an incredibly cosmopolitan community: a large Jewish Orthodox community, a large Hispanic community, and Italian, Korean and Vietnamese communities…Read More…

Stephanie Bell, Medicaid Innovation and Policy Strategist, Vimo. Vimo is a member of the Quality Institute’s Professional and Technology Council.   Vimo supported New Jersey’s launch and technical operations of its state-based insurance Marketplace — Get Covered NJ. The launch was smooth and uneventful. What lessons do you draw from that success?  First, we had a strong state partner. Get Covered…Read More…

Stephen Cha, MD, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services As Commissioner, you must be preparing New Jersey for the federal cuts and requirements of H.R.1 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill”). What progress has been made so far — and what do you envision for the work ahead? This may feel theoretical for…Read More…

Leah Binder is the President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group is well known to many of our readers, but can you explain the difference between the Leapfrog Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Surveys and the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade? We have two voluntary surveys: one for hospitals and one for…Read More…

Mia Connolly, New Jersey Market Director, Oscar Health, a member of the Quality Institute’s Plan Council. Oscar Health has been described as a technology-forward company. How does Oscar use technology to better engage with its members? We were founded to be both a technology company and an insurance company. Technology powers the health care experience and helps…Read More…

Wardell Sanders, President, New Jersey Association of Health Plans Can you provide some key data about New Jersey’s individual health insurance market, such as its role and size? If you don’t have public health insurance, such as Medicare or Medicaid, or employer sponsored health coverage, the individual market is critical. The individual market is for…Read More…

Denise Anderson, PhD, MPH, is the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing – New Jersey’s Public Health Institute. What is the purpose of a Public Health Institute? With New Jersey on board, there are now more than 40 public health institutes across the nation. The purpose is multi-faceted and can…Read More…