OneRBHS:
Year 4 Progress Report

Actualizing interprofessional synergies to improve clinical care and the patient experience

The objective of this goal is to leverage the comprehensive and unique aspects of Rutgers Health, coupled with the unique affiliations with RWJBarnabas Health, University Hospital in Newark, and the VA New Jersey Health Care System, to lead by improving the health of our communities through the delivery of the highest quality of, and access to, integrated and interprofessional clinical care and preventive health.

• RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, have proudly unveiled New Jersey’s first and only freestanding, fully comprehensive cancer hospital and one of only 13 in the United States.
• After decades of doctors recommending fewer blood transfusions, Jeffrey Carson’s research is changing clinical standards to save lives.
• FDA clears the first blood test for Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis that supports early and accurate detection in a simpler, less invasive, and more accessible way.
• With Rutgers Health as a lead partner, state officials including former Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy broke ground in Trenton on the $86.7 million Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center, New Jersey’s first-of-its-kind facility that will serve as an innovative hub for improving and advancing maternal and infant care.
• Rutgers physicians and clinical staff were featured in a systemwide compassion-in-health-care initiative, highlighting patient-centered clinical practices, humanistic care delivery, and the role of empathy in improving patient experiences and outcomes.
• University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) expanded community behavioral health access with the Rutgers Center for Recovery & Wellbeing in Plainfield, which began offering outpatient services including assessments, individual and group counseling, medication management, and case management.
• Northern New Jersey Medications for Addiction Treatment Center of Excellence, including faculty from New Jersey Medical School, strengthen coordination of behavioral health care by advancing psychiatric service delivery models that emphasize continuity of care and reduced barriers for individuals with complex behavioral health needs across New Jersey.
• The Office of Population Health is recruiting a Patient Navigator to provide outreach, education, and resource navigation related to chronic disease prevention, screening, and management for patient populations served by the Rutgers Health Service Corps, our Rutgers Health practices, and our health system partners. 

Educating, training, and preparing a diverse New Jersey biomedical and health sciences workforce

The objectives of this goal focus on fostering excellence in the delivery of health professions and biomedical sciences education by leveraging the strengths of our interprofessional community of educators across Rutgers Health to recruit, train, support, and prepare a diverse and highly competitive New Jersey biomedical and health sciences workforce. The objectives also highlight the need to enhance the Rutgers Health-wide teaching and learning infrastructure and elevate the recognition of educators and educational administration.

• Omar M. Abuattieh, a Rutgers doctoral student at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, has been selected as a 2026 Rhodes Scholar, earning one of the most prestigious international academic honors available to college graduates.
• Sangeeta Lamba has undertaken a new leadership role, as the Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Teaching Excellence, that will have a tremendous impact in shaping the future of teaching, learning, and engagement across Rutgers Health.
• Rutgers Health inaugural and immediate past chancellor, Brian Strom, was named “Educator of the Year” by the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, highlighting leadership in medical education and innovation and elevating Rutgers’ profile in health sciences education, among his many other accolades.
• The 2025 Rutgers Rising Stars program recognized 24 medical school students from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School who demonstrated excellence across the Rutgers Health mission areas, including academic achievement, excellence in discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship, and commitment to our community.
• School of Nursing announced a strategic partnership with Axia Women’s Health to expand clinical rotation opportunities for nurse-midwifery students, allowing learners to gain practical, hands-on experience at one of Axia’s more than 100 locations across New Jersey and strengthening experiential education and workforce preparedness.
• The Rutgers School of Dental Medicine relaunched its From Practice to Preceptor Faculty Training Program, which prepares practicing dentists for academic careers.
• The New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJACTS) received two NIH training program awards for translational sciences: the Career Development (K12) Program, “Doctors as Valued Learning Partners (DEVELOP)” to prepare early-career faculty for independent careers and a Predoctoral (T32) Training Program, “Addressing Societal Challenges with Emerging New Technologies (ASCENT)” for predoctoral students from Rutgers, Princeton, and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
• Rutgers Health medical students marked Match Day 2025, celebrating successful residency placements at prestigious programs nationwide, including in New Jersey, reflecting the strength of Rutgers’ workforce preparation and clinical training pipelines for future practicing physicians.

Building on Rutgers Health strengths and opportunities to excel in discovery and innovation

The objectives of this goal focus on building on the existing strengths of established and emerging strategic research areas, identifying and cultivating new areas of impactful and innovative research, and growing our research portfolio and presence to be leaders among our peer institutions. An important Rutgers Health advantage is its affiliations with RWJBarnabas Health, University Hospital in Newark, and the VA New Jersey Health Care System, which provide access to patients for translational and clinical research, and proximity to New Jersey’s extensive bio¬technology and pharmaceutical companies. A robust Rutgers Health research enterprise will improve health in New Jersey, address health-related social inequities, and provide an engine for discovery, innovation, and economic development.

• Rutgers Cancer Institute researchers, led by Dr. Christian Hinrichs, developed a breakthrough single cell-therapy infusion that produced the strongest evidence yet of a curative outcome in solid tumors demonstrating that new T-cell therapies can achieve long-lasting, complete tumor regression in advanced epithelial cancers.
• Rutgers Health researchers, led by Rey Panettieri and Steve An, discovered a novel blood test for diagnosing asthma and determining disease severity, advancing early detection and personalized care.
• Rutgers Health achieved an 8% increase in grant award dollars, totaling more than $600 million in FY25, demonstrating continued research growth and increased federal research awards in the first two quarters of FY26.
• According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, Rutgers University has climbed to #38 nationally in NIH award rankings with a large portion of that funding, $208.5 million (77%), awarded to Rutgers Health.
• Rutgers Health’s innovation pipeline stayed strong, with 95 innovations disclosures and 89 patents issued in FY25, showing significant growth in research output. Efforts with licensing activity remained steady with 14 agreements completed. 
• The Rutgers Krieger Klein Alzheimer's Research Center received a $1.5 million philanthropic gift from the Norman and Mary Pattiz Foundation to establish a physician-scientist research program.
• The New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers School of Public Health has increased its commitment to expanding the field through funding grants and, this year, is issuing more than $1.1 million in awards to train a new generation of gun violence prevention scholars and produce gun violence prevention research and communicate the science of gun violence prevention to New Jersey communities.
• Rutgers Health expanded its strategic research engagement with South Korea through the Korea-U.S. Research & Development (R&D) Collaborations initiative, building on existing partnerships to promote and build biomedical and health sciences collaborations with Rutgers researchers.
• The Center for Climate, Health, and Healthcare was established at IFH in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, co-led by Soko Setoguchi and Glenn Miller, to address climate change through research, education, and programmatic activities from the perspectives of health and health care.

Engaging meaningfully with local and global communities

The objectives of this goal ensure that, as a public institution, we are engaged with our local and global communities to advance research, education, and clinical care through service that addresses relevant community health challenges and needs. By engaging with these communities in ongoing collaborations, we can work together to improve and sustain health. Another important aspect of community engagement is to expose students and trainees to learning opportunities that expand consciousness of their impact on the communities they serve and increase awareness of the cultural and societal factors that affect health.

• Vets4Warriors, the nation’s leading 24/7 military peer support program—based at UBHC and staffed by veterans—received its one-millionth connection, a historic milestone as the nation celebrates Veterans Day.
• The Office of Population Health established the Health Policy and Advocacy Corps (HPAC) Speaker Series through funding from the Rutgers Democracy Lab Faculty and Staff Associates Program, as an extension of the Rutgers Health Service Corps, aiming to bring health policy and advocacy experts to Rutgers to share their experiences, insights, and lessons learned in shaping public health policy.
• The Rutgers Health Service Corps continues to make an important impact across Rutgers Health through a wide range of initiatives including one focused on improving colorectal cancer screening rates among patients at the Eric B. Chandler Health Center, a local federally qualified health center.
• Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health (REACH), held a population health symposium, "Bridging the Gaps: Collaborative Pathways to Achieve Health Equity in New Jersey," focused on sharing actionable insights and shaping effective policies for advancing health equity through community-engaged strategies.
• Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, REACH also held a symposium on “Poverty, Equity, and Influencing Factors” exploring the interconnectedness of poverty, racial justice, and health, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning best-selling author Matthew Desmond.
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) partnered with the Ventanilla de Salud (Window of Health) initiative at the Mexican Consulate in New Brunswick to expand access to health care for Mexican nationals and to provide health education, screenings, and connection to medical services for disproportionately impacted communities.
• Rutgers School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Workforce Development, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health, hosted the 2025 New Jersey Immunization Conference, “The Power of Prevention: New Jersey’s Path to a Healthier Tomorrow,” focused on increasing vaccination uptake in the state by bringing together stakeholders across the fields of public health, health care, and private industry.
• The Rutgers Health Service Corps was honored with a national Presidential Volunteer Service Award from AmeriCorps, recognizing its commitment to strengthening New Jersey communities through impactful service.

Growing and supporting an exceptional, compassionate, and diverse workforce

Our people are at the heart of a successful OneRBHS. The objectives of this goal are focused on developing, supporting, and promoting our workforce, including our students and trainees who represent our future. The growth and evolution of the Rutgers Health community is centered on a commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and Rutgers Health core values.

• Rutgers Health faculty and staff were recognized through the 2025 Rutgers Health Chancellor Awards for excellence in mentorship, education, research, and service, reinforcing workforce excellence and institutional investment in people across health-related schools and units.
• Five Rutgers Health faculty--Cheryl Dreyfus, Maria Gennaro, Ray Panettieri, Junichi Sadoshima, and Andrew Thomas—were among the eight Rutgers University faculty elected to the 2026 class of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
• Gloria A. Bachmann, MD (NCAS’70, RWJMS’72) was inducted into the 2026 Class of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, selected by the Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) Board of Directors.
• Deanna Kerrigan, PhD, MPH, joined Rutgers School of Public Health as Vice Dean, Henry J. Rutgers Chair of Whole Person Health, and as a professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, Society and Policy.
• Leorey Saligan, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, was named the inaugural Vice Dean of Research at the Rutgers School of Nursing, following his service as a tenured senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health.
• Lindsay Shea, a nationally recognized scholar and Medicaid policy expert, was named director of the Center for State Health Policy (CSHP), a Center within the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research (IFH), and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
• Iris Udasin, MD, of Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute received the United States Secret Service Appreciation Award for her extraordinary dedication to those whose lives and health were forever changed on 9/11, "demonstrating exceptional support in protecting national leaders, safeguarding the financial infrastructure, or enhancing the overall readiness and resilience of the agency."
• Jessie Jensen, PhD, CHES, of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of health behavior.
   

Fostering a culture of respect that prioritizes inclusion and accountability

This unifying theme focuses on developing the ideal Rutgers Health workplace that fosters a positive environment to nurture, empower, and support the Rutgers Health community to achieve excellence. The objectives of this goal aim to recognize and celebrate our different qualities and experiences, and promote a climate of inclusion, respect, and belonging for all in the spirit of forming a "beloved community." Additionally, personal, leadership, and institutional collective accountability are paramount to successfully achieving this goal.

• Rutgers Health convened the inaugural Well-Being Summit, bringing together healthcare leaders to address clinician and staff burnout and promote evidence-based workforce well-being strategies.
• The Rutgers School of Nursing earned its eighth consecutive Best Schools for Men in Nursing Award, reflecting sustained workforce diversity and inclusion efforts.
• The Rutgers School of Nursing received the 2025 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award, recognizing excellence and inclusion practices supporting students and faculty.
• Denise V. Rodgers, MD, FAAFP, was honored with the Rutgers Health Beacon of Service and Leadership Award for her visionary leadership and transformative impact on academic health, advancing interprofessional education, clinical care, research, and community engagement, leaving an enduring legacy across the health professions landscape.
• Rutgers Health continued and expanded the “Ask the Chancellor” series as a structured, recurring mechanism for institutionwide dialogue, providing faculty and staff across schools, centers, and institutes with direct access to senior leadership. These sessions reinforce transparency, inclusion, and shared accountability in university decision-making.
• Rutgers Health provosts and leaders from the Chancellor’s Office of Academic Affairs and Research hold 1:1 virtual office hours for faculty to exchange ideas and discuss individual issues related to faculty development, appointments and promotions, research training, mentoring, and faculty and student affairs.
   

Emphasizing team-based and collaborative approaches across all mission areas

A unique aspect of Rutgers Health is its comprehensive constellation of health professions schools (dentistry, health professions, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health) and affiliations with the major statewide health system— RWJBarnabas Health, the state’s only public tertiary care hospital—University Hospital in Newark, and the VA New Jersey Health Care System. These affiliations afford significant opportunities for Rutgers Health to contribute, excel, and lead in team-based and collaborative approaches to interprofessional education, clinical care, research, and community engagement.

• The Rutgers Institute for Health showcased 40 years of research and policy impact, emphasizing sustained interdisciplinary collaboration and translational research leadership.
• The 2025 Chancellor Retreat, “Advancing Rutgers Health via Team-Based Approaches,” brought together Rutgers Health leaders to explore how collaboration can be strengthened with discussions centered on improving care delivery, aligning research efforts, and supporting the workforce through more effective team-based approaches.
• Dr. Yekaterina Opsha, Clinical Associate Professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMSOP), was appointed Interim Vice Chancellor for Interprofessional Programs at Rutgers Health.
• Rutgers Health hosted the 2026 Maternal Health Awareness Day, featuring keynote speaker Lisa Asare, MPH, President & CEO of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority. The event explored key barriers to equitable maternal health care in New Jersey and examined the impact of perinatal mental health and cardiovascular disease on maternal outcomes.
• The third annual Rutgers Health Hackathon, led by Jay Naik and Naveena Yanamala and supported by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, brought together over 300 participants across nearly 40 teams to develop innovative technology-driven solutions to healthcare challenges.
• Rutgers Health policy experts identified promising strategies for improving health care access for people experiencing homelessness, demonstrating applied, mission-driven, cross-sector research.
• Rutgers School of Health Professions expanded its leadership in interprofessional education with a new international program in Greece, in collaboration with the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the School of Communication and Information, to study how communication, teamwork, and health systems differ across borders and how those differences might matter for patient safety.
• Rutgers Health advanced interdisciplinary, team-based education through the finalization of a Master Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health Services, supporting coordinated experiential learning across multiple Rutgers Health schools.

Increasing the effectiveness of enabling systems, structures, and processes

There are several enabling systems and administrative structures that need to be enhanced for Rutgers Health to fulfill its mission and succeed in implementing its strategic goals. The following objectives focus on infrastructure needs and administrative functions, ensuring efficient systems, structures, and processes, and improving knowledge and information management.

• The Rutgers Health building at The HELIX in New Brunswick is opening this spring as part of what’s been called the most significant new construction in New Jersey for health care, research, technology, transportation, and economic development.
• Rutgers Health and University Hospital Newark broke ground on the first phase of the Newark campus redevelopment, marking a major capital investment to expand access to care and support community revitalization.
• Rutgers Health continues making progress toward bringing its two medical schools together, preparing for full Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation to create the Rutgers School of Medicine, amplifying Rutgers’ role as a leader in twenty-first-century medical education.
• RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey partnered with University Hospital to expand oncology, infusion, and related services in Newark, strengthening regional cancer care infrastructure and access.
• Rutgers Health expanded workforce education and standardized onboarding support for faculty and administrators on Responsibility Center Management (RCM) through individualized and group briefings, strengthening financial transparency, leadership readiness, and systemwide understanding of institutional funding and decision-making structures.
• Erin Vosseler, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences IT, co-chaired the Rutgerswide AI@Rutgers initiative steering committee, tasked with coordinating and consolidating guidance and recommendations on the development, implementation, and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at Rutgers.

Developing and promoting a shared OneRBHS identity

Rutgers Health is a relatively new branded entity, including our clinical affiliations with RWJBarnabas Health and University Hospital. This presents an opportunity for Rutgers Health to address identity challenges, grow reputation, and promote philanthropic collaborations and gifts. The adoption of a singular, unique identity to unite the Rutgers health affairs mission is critical to the long-term success of the institution as we build New Jersey’s premier academic health center into a nationally renowned system.

• Rutgers Health was positioned as a national leader in asthma research through a coordinated, multi-channel campaign, including branding at the New Brunswick train station and prominent placement in a Big Ten commercial, significantly expanding visibility among regional and national audiences.
• The Rutgers Foundation engaged more than 2,300 new donors to Rutgers Health’s schools, centers, and institutes, resulting in nearly $7.8 million in new gifts from these generous supporters.
• The Omar Boraie Medical School Scholarship Fund was established to benefit students at the future Rutgers School of Medicine pending its accreditation.
• Rutgers Cancer Institute, in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs” list, reinforcing national recognition of its cancer care, research integration, and clinical excellence.
• Six new endowed Legacy Professorships were established by current, emeritus, and retired faculty and their families, to honor their life’s work and strengthen their field(s) by providing sustained funding for research and teaching, thereby strengthening the reputation and academic excellence of the department and the university.
• The Rutgers School of Dental Medicine was invited to join the International Federation of Dental Schools and Faculties (FIEFO), becoming the first institution in the United States to be admitted into the international consortium.
• Rutgers Health honored inaugural Chancellor Brian Strom’s legacy of prioritizing the training of outstanding researchers by creating the Strom Endowed Research Fellowship to support a fellow at the beginning of their academic research career.
• Rutgers Health-affiliated programs were reflected in 2025 U.S. News & World Report academic rankings, reinforcing academic quality and national standing:
  • The School of Health Profession's Physician Assistant program has soared to No. 3 in the nation, reaffirming its status as a leader in healthcare education
  • The Rutgers School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program has climbed to an outstanding rank of No. 4 in the nation, and its Master of Science in Nursing program also earned national recognition, ranking No. 17
  • The Rutgers School of Public Health has been ranked No. 16 among the 2025 Best Schools in Public Health
• Rutgers Day 2025 brought tens of thousands of visitors to campus for hundreds of free programs and activities—including health-focused demonstrations and wellness-related exhibits—showcasing Rutgers Health’s community engagement and public outreach to families, alumni, students, and residents across New Jersey.