Camden Community Health Center (CHC)

The School of Nursing affirms its commitment to clinical practice and advocacy for underserved populations, and the diverse communities it serves through projects such as the Camden Community Health Center (CHC). Established as a joint venture of the UMDNJ - School of Nursing and the Camden County Council on Economic Opportunity (CCCOEO) in 1999, the Camden Community Health Center has provided primary care, health screening programs, and health education to help address the underserved needs of children and their families. The rate for infant deaths in Camden is twice that of Camden County and three times that of statewide figures. The age-adjusted years of potential life lost before age 75 for a resident of Camden is double that of the statewide average and of the 21 counties in New Jersey, Camden ranks last in morbidity measures (self-reported fair or poor health, poor physical health days, poor mental health days, and the percent of births with low birth weight). Most of the patients are uninsured or under-insured and the population has high rates of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, asthma, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and anemia. Because many of these health problems can be prevented or alleviated by changes in lifestyle, the CCHC has made community education and health promotion a major priority.

To meet these needs, Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) on the faculty of the School of Nursing and APN students provide primary care services, pre-employment and school physical examinations. Medical students from the UMDNJ - School of Osteopathic Medicine, supervised by faculty members of the Departments of Family Medicine/Internal Medicine provide care on Saturdays.

Financial support of the Camden Community Health Center is provided by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, UMDNJ - Schools of Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine.

For further information contact UMDNJ - School of Nursing at 856-566-6200