Community Welcome to Free Health Fair Hosted by Eric B. Chandler Health Center

Jennifer Forbes
Communications & Public Affairs
732-235-6356
jenn.forbes@rwjms.rutgers.edu

August 3, 2016

Free Health Screenings Offered

New Brunswick, NJ – Eric B. Chandler Health Center will host a free health fair on Friday, August 12, 2016, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, as part of a national, week-long campaign to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers, the largest and most successful system of primary health care. Free blood pressure, blood sugar, lead, vision and skin cancer screenings will be available for adults, along with body mass index and body fat calculations and free, confidential HIV testing. For children and teenagers, there will be free lead screenings, along with child safety information.

The health fair will be located at Chandler Health Center, 277 George Street, New Brunswick. In addition to the free screenings, information on dental care, nutrition, tobacco use, domestic violence, HIV/AIDs and financial health, will be available from Chandler Health Center’s expert staff, nurses and physicians, as well as from the center’s community partners.

What: Free health and wellness fair
Who: All community members
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
When: Friday, August 12, 2016
Where: Eric B. Chandler Health Center, 277 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ

Eric B. Chandler Health Center is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The patient-centered medical home is a model of care emphasizing coordination and communication to transform primary care into “what patients want it to be,” NCQA explains..

“Every day, I witness the value of having a patient-centered home to provide our community with essential primary healthcare services,” said Sandra Hill, executive director of the Eric B. Chandler Health Center at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Our health professionals and staff are proud to provide comprehensive care to our patients, from infants to senior citizens.”

Operated jointly with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a Community Board, Eric B. Chandler Health Center strives to eliminate barriers to obtaining quality, family-oriented primary and dental health care for its diverse, multicultural population by providing comprehensive acute and chronic care to patients of all ages. Like health centers nationwide, Chandler Health Center seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle and educate patients to take responsibility for and participate in their health and health care decisions. For more information about Chandler and its healthcare services, call 732-235-6700 or visit the Eric B. Chandler Health Center website.

The free health fair is being held during National Health Center Week. Health centers began more than 50 years ago as a pilot project during President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. Today, they serve more than 23 million people nationwide – that’s one in 15 Americans, including 7 million children and 260,000 veterans. Health centers are also increasingly becoming the trusted provider of choice for many families, whether they are insured or not. Evidence shows patients choose health centers because they are convenient, affordable, and offer a range of services from a team of caring professionals. Studies also show the quality of care at a health center is as good as or even better than private practices.

About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, comprise one of the nation's premier academic medical centers. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.

Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 21 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey and the Women’s Health Institute. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels on its campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.rutgers.edu. Find us online at www.facebook.com/RWJMedicalSchool and www.twitter.com/RWJMS.