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 be both proactive and responsive. We are non-governmental and need to be nimble. We are working with stakeholders across the state to convene and collaborate and then also to provide support around social conditions. We want to help all New Jerseyans reach their highest health potential. At our core, we are community centric and will work to earn the trust of the public.

How was the Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing established in New Jersey?

The institute has been decades in the making. Once we reached the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic, the former Nicholson Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gathered New Jersey’s public health stakeholders together and asked: How would our pandemic response have been different if New Jersey had a public health institute? Over time, the Seizing the Moment report was created and defined what a public health institute in New Jersey could accomplish. The report established the mission, vision, and values of the institute and the fact that the institute needed to be incubated to be successful. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded a grant to Acenda Integrated Health to incubate New Jersey’s Public Health Institute in October of 2022.

Phil Murphy signed legislation authorizing the Department of Health to designate a public health institute on April 22, 2025, and the New Jersey Department of Health formally designated the Center for Health Equity and Wellbeing as the State’s Public Health Institute on June 17th, 2025.

How will the center advance fairness to improve health care for all New Jerseyans?

We’re looking at critical health care policies through a health equity lens. That means examining potential unintended consequences and identifying what’s missing. What policies or programs must be introduced to address the root causes of systemic inequities?

Another essential part of our work is community power sharing. Too often, public health takes a top-down approach: experts decide what needs to happen and then tell communities what to do. We’re turning that around by co-designing, co-managing, and co-evaluating public health strategies with community members themselves.

We’re also focused on supporting community-based organizations that typically operate without major investment. These groups often address interconnected issues such as economic stability, education, environmental health, and housing—factors that deeply affect health. We’re helping them build capacity through training, technical assistance, and funding so they can continue leading change where it matters most.

What are your top public health priorities?

We’ll soon debut our full framework—but I can share a few broad focus areas. One priority is policy, especially as it relates to health equity. Another is strengthening the public health workforce. We’re looking closely at the workforce pipeline and current infrastructure to ensure public health professionals are continuously learning to deliver equitable services. We also want the workforce to be well-networked, coordinated, and ready for action, particularly when it comes to emergency preparedness.

Building trust is another major priority. We’re addressing misinformation and disinformation in ways that resonate with New Jersey residents. Ultimately, our goal is to embed equity in every level of New Jersey’s public health infrastructure—both in what’s built and how it functions.

That includes policy, workforce development, organizational collaboration, and communication. Together, these elements will create a more inclusive, coordinated, and trusted system—one that improves health outcomes for all.

Finally, beyond your professional life, can you share an experience that shaped who you are today?

I’m not often asked non-work-related questions—but when I reflect on my journey, I realize I’ve always been both a mediator and an advocate. Whether it was settling playground disputes in elementary school or serving on the student council in high school, I’ve been speaking up for others long before I learned to advocate for myself. That instinct naturally led me to public service. Over the years, various leadership and character assessments have affirmed that connection. For me, that shows up as empathy, compromise, trust-building, and an unwavering drive to take action on behalf of others.