![Staff members of the Family Medicine and Community Health department.](/sites/default/files/styles/16x9_full_default_1x/public/2024-01/lg_family-medicine-community-health-20190920-154.jpg?h=f528951b&itok=nxT6lXhV)
About the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
About
We are New Jersey’s oldest, and one of the country’s largest family medicine and community health departments, with more than 85 outstanding full and part-time paid faculty members, and more than 250 volunteer faculty throughout New Jersey.
Our founding chair, Frank C. Snope MD, understood how important it was to train family doctors to serve the people of the state. When family practice education was in its infancy Snope and others who had established family medicine departments and residency programs were called upon to provide assistance to others around the country who were new to the effort.
Now, our department teaches required courses in all years of the medical school, runs 2 outstanding Family Medicine Residencies: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH)/ New Brunswick and Centrastate Medical Center/ Freehold, and provides advanced leadership training for many disciplines and trainees.
Our residency graduates practice nationwide, with 250 serving New Jersey, many in underserved communities.
Our collaborative Research Fellowships provide opportunities in many areas for postdoctoral fellows in health services research. Our Clinical Fellowships are in Geriatrics, Sports Medicine, and Reproductive Health.
Vision and Mission Statements
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Our Department is dedicated to excellence through the integration of clinical care, research, education, and community service.
- Clinical Care - We will provide exceptional patient focused, family centered, community oriented clinical care. Entering into this partnership with patients means that we are responsive to patient needs, are financially sound, and provide the highest quality health services.
- Research - We will lead the nation in quality-of-care research that builds clinical excellence aimed at improving primary care and eliminating health care disparities.
- Education - We are dedicated to developing learning communities of current and future clinicians, educators, and researchers guided by Family Medicine's core values, and using best practices to promote professionalism, humanism, cultural competency, and critical thinking.
- Community Service - We are committed to service as members of the community and will act through advocacy, policy development and implementation, and full participation in our society's organizations and social networks.
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Our Mission is to promote leadership and excellence in Family Medicine and Community Health through:
- Recruiting and preparing future family physicians and primary care practitioners for clinical and academic practice in an evolving healthcare system.
- Educating current and future physicians and other health professionals to meet the healthcare needs of diverse populations.
- Providing personalized, high quality, comprehensive, collaborative, and continuous care to individuals in the context of their families and communities.
- Undertaking interdisciplinary, collaborative applied research and scholarship that is both leading edge and reflective of the philosophy and practice of family medicine and primary care.
- Supporting and fostering the Network of Affiliated Family Medicine Residency Programs, community practitioners, and others engaged in primary care practice, education, and research.
Message from the Chair
![Portrait of Alfred Tallia, MD MPH](/sites/default/files/styles/small_max_width_embed_default_1x/public/2024-01/sm_tallia_alfred_2013_ks.jpg?itok=65TqeL12)
Welcome! We were founded in the spring of 1972 as New Jersey's first medical school department of family medicine.
Frank C. Snope, MD, one of the seminal leaders in American family medicine, was the founding chair. Under his leadership, the department developed a reputation for excellence in undergraduate medical education with a statewide network of clinical faculty preceptors, a model emulated around the country. Linkages were developed to residency programs based at community hospital affiliates throughout New Jersey.
In 1982, Dr. Joseph A. Lieberman, III became the second chair, and the New Brunswick residency program grew and established a reputation for excellence in training through creative partnerships with community affiliates. Innovative, federally recognized clinical programs were developed, including services for the developmentally disabled and chronically mentally ill, and community outreach programs for minority children, women, and the elderly.
Under the leadership of David E. Swee, MD, the third chair, the development of unique population-based fellowship programs and research accelerated. Major research training programs began, the Research Division was founded and flourished, and the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity achieved prominence.
Today, the Department's academic and clinical programs serve more than 100,000 students, professionals, and patients each year in hospitals, medicals offices, post-acute and long-term care facilities, homes, schools, businesses and communities throughout New Jersey. With outstanding expertise in clinical care, community service, medical education, and an excellent track record in quality of care focused primary care research, the Department serves as a resource for New Jersey and the nation.
We hope you will enjoy our website, and look forward to your visiting us soon.
Alfred F. Tallia, MD, MPH
Professor and Chair
Staff and Administration
Piscataway and New Brunswick
Michael Andrade
Administrator
Phone: 732-235-6004
Email: michael.andrade@rutgers.edu
Felecia Beard
Administrative Coordinator
Phone: 732-235-7659
Email: felecia.beard@rutgers.edu
Robin Covington
Program Coordinator
Phone: 732-235-6969
Email: covingra@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Enid Cruz
Staff Assistant
Predoctoral Education
Phone: 732-235-4200
Email: cruze2@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Lillian Kimmel
Program Support Specialist-RWJ
Phone: 732-235-6972
Email: kimmelli@rwjms.rutgers.edu
June Mooney
Senior Financial Analyst
Phone: 732-235-7656
Email: mooneyjg@rutgers.edu
Toni Scales
Program Assistant-RWJ
Phone: 732-235-7667
Email: scalests@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Freehold - Centrastate
Christine Easton
Family Medicine Residency and Geriatric Fellowship Programs Coordinator
Phone: 732-294-1989
Email: ceaston@Centrastate.com
Monument Square
Jeri L. Fleming
Faculty Practice Manager
Phone: 732-235-7252
Email: jeri.fleming@rutgers.edu
Contact Us
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
317 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-6029
Fax: 732-246-8084
Family Medicine at Monument Square
Matrix Plaza 2
317 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-8993
Parking:
Matrix New Street Garage
55 New Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Eric B. Chandler Health Center
277 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-6700
Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group at Monroe
18 Centre Drive
Monroe, NJ 08831
Phone: 609-655-5178
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Family Medicine Residency at CentraState
597 Park Avenue, Suite A
Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone: 732-294-2540
Raritan Bay Medical Center Professional Services
2433 Highway 516, Suite 3B
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
Phone: 732-360-0287
Hospitalist Division
Medical Education Building
125 Paterson Street, 259
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Research Division
Matrix Plaza 1
303 George Street, 3rd Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Sports Medicine Division
303 George Street, 6th Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-7664
To make an appointment call: 732-235-8993
Giving to the Department
You can make a difference.
The many community-based clinical, research, and education programs in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health offer opportunities to help depending on your individual, corporate, or foundation interests.
Your much-needed support can assist physicians, scientists, nurses, community health workers, and researchers to continue to make cutting-edge discoveries that provide advanced care for families and communities. Or, you can secure the future of education and research by creating endowed faculty chairs and professorships.
No matter what the size, your gift can support research on quality of care, better treatments for devastating diseases, education of future healthcare professionals, or improved access to the most advanced healthcare for people in need.
To discuss how you or your organization can help our missions in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, please contact:
Denise P. Gavala
Senior Associate Vice President for Development
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University Foundation
Phone: (848) 932-6022
Mailing Address:
Liberty Plaza
335 George St., Suite 4000
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Residencies
Family Medicine Residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
The Family Medicine Residency Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is New Jersey 's only urban, University hospital-based Family Medicine program. Located in New Brunswick, NJ, our program started in 1980 and we have graduated over 240 residents who practice in New Jersey and nationwide. Our goal is to guide your development into becoming the Family Physician you dream of – allowing you a wide variety of areas of interest to pursue and develop expertise.
Family Medicine Residency at CentraState
The Family Medicine Residency Program at CentraState Medical Center is a university-sponsored residency program located in the culturally diverse community of Freehold, NJ. Our goal is to provide our graduates the tools needed to excel in any future family medicine practice environment.
Fellowships
Primary Care/Health Services Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Service Award (NRSA) Primary Care/Health Services Research Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year postdoctoral fellowship program that combines research in a multidisciplinary setting with the option of earning a master of public health (MPH) degree.
The fellowship is designed for motivated individuals who want to pursue academic research careers in a primary care discipline. The program offers an "apprenticeship" process in which fellows work as a team member in an ongoing funded research project under the guidance of established research mentors.
Individualized training and hands on research experience tailored to the Fellow's research interests and training needs:
- Formal course work at the University with an opportunity to obtain an MPH degree.
- Flexibility in training curriculum.
- Specialized seminars, research rounds and skills workshops designed to meet specific interests and training needs of fellows.
- Diverse research opportunities ranging from statistical analysis of large databases with clinical and policy implications to case and practice-based studies employing both quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Collaborative research projects with a variety of academic and non-academic organizations.
- Support for participation in local and national professional conferences and meetings.
- Opportunities to be socialized into academic primary care and to meet senior investigators from around the United States.
Clinical Fellowships
We offer ACGME Accredited Fellowships in Geriatrics, Sports Medicine, and a fellowship in Reproductive and Gender Health. The goals of the clinical fellowships are to provide advanced postgraduate training in family medicine related to the care of special populations and to train faculty in family medicine and other disciplines to teach, administer, and develop scholarly research activity in their particular fields of interest.
Women's Health Elective
This is a two- or four-week elective that is open to Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students, medical students at other accredited institutions who are in their 4th year of medical school and in good academic standing, as well as residents at other institutions. This elective rotation is designed to enhance medical students’ and residents' diagnostic, procedural, counseling, and management skills to improve reproductive healthcare.
Accordion Content
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To provide medical students and residents with a supportive environment to develop their women’s health skills including sexual history taking, physical exam, diagnostic, treatment, counseling and gynecologic procedural skills and to provide their patients with respectful, nonjudgmental, comprehensive, women-centered primary care.
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By completion of all sessions, residents and medical students should be able to:
- Utilize therapeutic communication techniques to elicit a client history, including sexuality, STI's, high-risk behaviors, abuse, and family planning.
- Discuss normal reproductive physiology and related deviations with clients.
- Counsel regarding STI prevention.
- Diagnose and treat common STI's.
- Diagnose and treat common causes of vaginitis.
- Discuss commonly used contraceptives including their efficacy, appropriateness, potential side effects, need for monitoring, and relevant counseling issues.
- Identify all appropriate options for unplanned pregnancy with their client, and objectively counsel them regarding those options.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Medication Abortion vs Procedural Abortion for first trimester unintended pregnancies.
- Outline the entire process (counseling, consent, procedure, and follow-up care) to performing a Medication or Manual Vacuum Aspiration Abortion.
- Perform Miscarriage and Post-Abortion Management.
- Interpret a Pelvic Ultrasound in a non-pregnant and first-trimester pregnant uterus.
- Outline the most current follow-up recommendations for abnormal PAP smears.
- Identify cervical abnormalities on colposcopy and perform ECC and biopsy(ies) as indicated.
- Identify symptoms and health risks associated with menopause, and counsel patients about the potential advantages, side effects, health risks and alternatives to hormone therapy.
- Discuss the indications for, and perform, endometrial biopsies.
- Evaluate and manage patients with oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and abnormal uterine bleeding.
- List the indications for emergency contraception, and the recommended regimens.
- Perform age appropriate breast cancer screening, evaluate, and manage breast disorders.
- Evaluate and manage patients with infertility.
- Evaluate and manage patients with urinary incontinence.
- Maintain a nonjudgmental attitude in dealing with family planning, STI's, and pregnancy related issues.
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This rotation is divided up into ten half-day sessions:
Women's Health Sample Rotation Schedule
(subject to change based on availability)Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. AM Independent
StudyIndependent
StudyPlanned Parenthood, NJ
Dr. SliwowskaWomen's Health Clinic FMMS
Dr. LevineUrogynecology
Clinic
Dr. Hutchinson-
ColasPM Independent
Study (cont.)Women's Health Clinic FMMS
Dr. SliwowskaPlanned Parenthood, NJ
Dr. Sliwowska (cont.)Breast Clinic Independent
StudyEvaluations and Scholarly Reading
Medical students and residents will complete a self-directed curriculum during the rotation.
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Interested students and residents should submit the following:
- 1 paragraph statement about their interest in reproductive health, including abortion training, in context of their career plans.
- List of possible dates the student or resident is available.
- Preferred duration of elective (2-4 weeks).
Please submit directly to Dr. Sliwowska, via email at aniasl@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
Life at Rutgers
![An image of the city of New Brunswick](/sites/default/files/styles/16x9_full_default_1x/public/2024-03/nbmain.jpg?h=854a7be2&itok=jqvBmhR2)
Envision Yourself Here
Rutgers is located in central New Jersey in the city of New Brunswick and across the Raritan River in Piscataway. Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon counties rank fourth in per capita income nationwide. It is a manufacturing center, agricultural center, high-tech corporate center, and small-town America rolled into one.
Who We Are
Accordion Content
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Explore the list of accomplished faculty comprising the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
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- Paul I. Abend, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Paul G. Alexander, MD, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Diane M. Allegra, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Paul Arts, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Stacey Roth Bachrach, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Douglas A. Ballan, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- James E. Barr, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Michael P. Basista, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Michael J. Baum, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Susan M. Bauman, MD - Clinical Professor
- Deborah Beiter, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Thomas S. Bellavia, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Brandis Belt, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Gary Berger, MD - Clinical Instructor
- James R. Bertel, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Richard J. Borgatti, Jr., MD - Clinical Instructor
- Robert D. Boyd, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Robert W. Brenner, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Martha Jo Brumbaugh, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John L. Bucek, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Raymond J. Byrd, MD - Clinical Instructor
- James D. Cameron, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Dennis Cardone, DO - Adjunct Associate Professor
- Sung Y. Chae, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Arthur W. Chaney, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- David J. Cheli, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Chao-Tarng Cheng, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard Cirello, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Robert G. Coates, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Lorne Cohen, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Philip H. Cohen, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joseph T. Cohn, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Harry Collins, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard L. Corson, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Debra W. Curry, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John G. DeGhetto, Jr., DO - Clinical Instructor
- Patrick J. DeMare, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Frank J. Diaz, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Michael J. Doyle, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joseph L. Ecker, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Gerardo V. Estevez, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joel S. Feigin, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Shari Fine, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joel G. Fischgrund, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Frank A. Franklin, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Stuart H. Freedenfeld, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Anthony Frisoli, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Anthony R. Garruto, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Toby A. Geller, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Ronald J. Gelzunas, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Mark R. Gershenbaum, PhD, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Frederic G. Glatter, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Joan Gopin, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Robert T. Gorman, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Lawrence B. Gross, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John D. Gumina, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Jerry L. Haag, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Mary Ann Haflin, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Frederic M. Heitzer, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Jeremy C. Hewens, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Alexander J. Higgins, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Eileen G. Hill, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Suzanne Holdcraft, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- James R. Hoppe, MD - Adjunct Instructor
- Maryann Jacks, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Carla M. Jardim, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Lori J. Jarvis, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Kishor J. Jobanputra, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Howard D. Jones, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Charles A. Joseph, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Leonard M. Kabel, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Frank L. Kane, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Ohan Karatoprak, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Irving H. Kaufman, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Susan T. Kaye, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Alan G. Kelsey, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Francis Kielar, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Kyungsook C. Kim, MD, PhD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Charles L. King, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Randy Scott Klein, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Naomi S. Kolb, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Stephen J. Kolesk, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Stanley M. Kozakowski, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Douglas R. Krohn, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Raj N. Lalla, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Steven Landers, MD, MPH - Clinical Professor
- Melodee S. Lasky, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Ronald Lau, MD - Clinical Instructor
- George Leipsner, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard Levandowski, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Michael Lewko, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Paul W. Madonia, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Paul P. Madura, Jr., MD - Clinical Instructor
- Allan Magaziner, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Dennis R. Manchen, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Mark Mandell, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Cheng-An Mao, MD, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Cynthia Matossian, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Robert S. Maurer, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Marc Mayer, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Thomas P. McCarrick, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Donna M. Mercado, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John P. Metz, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Monica A. Meyer, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Laura Micek-Galinat, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Arthur Hal Miller, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- George W. Miller, Jr., MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Charlene E. Milne, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Kevin K. Mooney, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Sally Mravcak, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard S. Murray, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Louis V. Napolitano, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Partricia Nee, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Jack Needleman, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- John J. Nevins III, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Dennis E. Novak, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Kimberly Ann Odell, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Jeffrey C. Oppenheim, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Steven M. Orland, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Thomas Rafael Ortiz, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Arnold Pallay, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Robert M. Pallay, MD - Adjunct Associate Professor
- Jay Patel, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Juan A. Perez, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Anne Picciano, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard N. Podell, MD - Clinical Professor
- David R. Polizzi, MD - Clinical Instructor
- M. Albert Michael-Albert Puleo, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Margot Putukian, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Joseph R. Raccuglia, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Smita Randhawa, MD - Instructor
- Adam Redlich, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Jamie Reedy, MD, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Leonard V. Ridilla, Jr., MD - Clinical Instructor
- Atilio R. Roscher, MD - Clinical Instructor
- William H. Rossy, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Arnold M. Roth, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Sharon L. Ryan, MD, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Eugene A. Ryfinski, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Preeti Saran, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Catherine J. Schiano, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Andrew P. Schuyler, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joseph A. Schwenkler, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John Scott, MD - Adjunct Associate Professor
- Nithya Setty-Shah, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Brian L. Shaffer, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Dein M. Shapiro, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Catherine M. Sharkness, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Terry E. Shlimbaum, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Amy L. Shute, MD - Clinical Instructor
- David Skillinge, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Joseph M. Smith, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Herbert S. Smyczek, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Frank C. Snope, MD - Emeritus Professor
- Kenneth Snyder, MD, MS - Assistant Professor
- Douglas E. Soden, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Andrew H. Sokel, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Yasser S. Soliman, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Angelo Sparagna, III, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Rebecca L. Steckel, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Howard Stein, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Kenneth G. Stern, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Marty D. Sweinhart, MD - Clinical Instructor
- John P. Swidryk, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Joseph F. Termini, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Kathleen M. Thomsen, MD, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Peter C. Tierney, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Michelle A. Tomlinson, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Catherine A. Varano, MD - Clinical Instructor
- James Vick, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- John S. Waters, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Joseph Weinstein, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Steve L. Weintraub, DO - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Richard Weiss, DO - Clinical Instructor
- Joseph P. Wiedemer, MD - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Mary A. Willard, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Robin O. Winter, MD - Clinical Associate Professor
- David S. Zalut, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Howard Zeidman, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Thomas S Ziering, MD - Clinical Instructor
- Jeffrey A. Zlotnick, MD - Clinical Instructor
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- Sherie Angstadt, MSW - Adjunct Instructor
- Estelle Best, MSW - Adjunct Instructor
- Bruce A. Birnberg, MSW - Clinical Assistant Professor
- MaryBreckenridge, PhD - Emeritus Professor
- Patricia N Carver, PhD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Ronald J. Comer, PhD - Clinical Associate Professor
- Ruth Fixelle, EdM - Adjunct Assistant Professor
- Barbara G. Franzblau, MSW - Adjunct Instructor
- Patrice B. Gregory, PhD - Adjunct Assistant Professor
- Phillip Hossler, MS - Adjunct Instructor
- Gail Gleason Milgram, EdD - Adjunct Associate Professor
- Roberto Muniz, MPA - Adjunct Instructor
- Brent D. Ruben, PhD - Adjunct Professor
- Lynn Schwenzer, MPH - Clinical Assistant Professor
- Shirley A. Smoyak, PhD, RN - Adjunct Professor
- Phyllis Supino, EdD - Adjunct Instructor
- Elizabeth Vreeland, MSN, RN - Clinical Instructor
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Yanping Jiang, PhD
Instructor
yanping.jiang@ifh.rutgers.eduManny Jimenez, MD, MS, FAAP
Assistant Professor
manuel.e.jimenez@rutgers.eduElizabeth Luth, PhD
Assistant Professor
elizabeth.luth@rutgers.eduAnn Nguyen, PhD
Assistant Professor
anguyen@ifh.rutgers.eduBrent D. Ruben, PhD
Assistant Professor
Distinguished Professor of Communication School of Communication and Information / Rutgers-New Brunswick Executive Director, Rutgers Center for Organizational Leadership
bruben@rutgers.eduDeborah M. Spitalnik, PhD
Executive Director
Director, NJLEND
Professor of Pediatrics
deborah.spitalnik@rutgers.edu
Our accomplished faculty include five New Jersey and one National Family Physician of the Year awardees, four University Master Educators, one Rutgers Distinguished and two named Professors, six associate/assistant Deans, and two University Vice Chancellors.
Centers and Networks
Our centers are world-renowned for their educational offerings, and for providing advanced education, research and clinical care in family medicine, and our networks care for an estimated 550,000 citizens yearly, undertake patient-centered translational research, and provide collaborative offerings in eight New Jersey teaching hospitals and affiliated outpatient sites.
Employment Opportunities
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Join Our Team
Rutgers is one of the largest employers in the State of New Jersey, and is an employer of choice for individuals seeking employment in higher education. We offer competitive salaries, generous benefits, and the chance to be a part of an exciting campus community. To find open positions within the department, please visit the Rutgers University Employment Opportunities page.
Research Activities
With a quality of care and primary care translational research agenda, department external NIH funding is among the top schools nationally. We are home for the community core of the Rutgers, Princeton, and New Jersey Institute of Technology Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA).
Our extensive research and education collaborations include affiliations with multiple Institutes and schools within Rutgers, and external work with organizations throughout the country including the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Larry Green Center, and many others.
We are New Jersey’s Healthcare Innovation Lab, (e.g. birthplace of Robert Wood Johnson Partners accountable care organization, major research studies on patient centered medical homes and health system change) bringing Rutgers resources to solve healthcare challenges for the nation.
Our Office of Global Health works with universities across the world and provides opportunities for research collaborations internationally.
The newly established Parker Division of Geriatrics received a bequest of $19M to expand research, education, and clinical service in communities throughout the country.
Clinical Services
We provide advanced clinical care to more than 100,000 patients per year throughout central New Jersey: in patients’ homes, in outpatient offices including clinics serving those in need, and in affiliated hospitals, post-acute, long-term care, and assisted living facilities. Our Hospital Medicine division faculty and staff care for more than 150 seriously ill patients daily in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, including those admitted to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
As the academic home of Community Health for the school, the department’s activities extend from care in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in New Brunswick (Eric B. Chandler Health Center) and Freehold (Freehold Family Health Center), to educational systems, governments, businesses, and communities throughout New Jersey.
Divisions
![Staff members of the Family Medicine and Community Health department.](/sites/default/files/styles/16x9_full_default_1x/public/2024-01/lg_family-medicine-community-health-20190920-154.jpg?h=f528951b&itok=nxT6lXhV)
Our Divisions
Our department is made up of 4 divisions, each focusing on a specific area of family medicine and community health.
Inpatient/Outpatient Services
Outpatient Offices
- Family Medicine at Monument Square, New Brunswick
- Eric B. Chandler Health Center, New Brunswick
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group at Monroe, Monroe
- Centrastate Family Medicine Center, Freehold
Inpatient Offices
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick
- Family Medicine Service
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group Hospitalist Service, New Brunswick
- Centrastate Medical Center, Freehold
Clinical Programs
- Acupuncture Program - Acupuncture corrects the flow of energy within the body through the stimulation of specific points by the insertion of very fine needles just beneath the surface of the skin.
- Center for Healthy Aging at Monroe - is the clinical office setting for the Geriatric Division of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
- Comprehensive Family Medicine - provides personalized, comprehensive, individual and family-centered health care. Available 24 hours a day, the physicians place emphasis on screening, prevention and cost-effective, longitudinal care.
- Geriatric Services - Clinical services provided for older adult patients (Geriatric Services) include office-based primary care of the complex interacting health concerns of the older adult, consultative ambulatory assessments of function and cognition, and primary care services for residents at select senior housing and nursing home settings and for frail homebound residents within a geographically restricted area in central New Jersey.
- Maternity Care Program - program provides comprehensive maternity care services including preconception care, prenatal care, obstetrical deliveries, and postpartum care to low and moderate risk pregnancies. We provide care that is patient and family-centered, including the new infant once born.
- Home Visit Service - accommodates patients throughout the state and has been set up to treat multiple medical issues such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, congestive heart failure and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.
- Sports Medicine Center - specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.
- Student Health Program - The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health provides selected acute and preventive health care services for Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students and physician assistant students at the One Penn Plaza site in downtown New Brunswick.
- Women's Health Program - A holistic approach to women's health and obstetrical services including unique services for peri-menopause and menopause, including alternative medicine approaches. Naturopathy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, and massage therapy are also available.
About
The goal of the Medical Student Education program is to ensure that all Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students graduate with a solid foundation in the principles and practices of family medicine.
All students will develop competency relevant to family medicine in the areas of
- patient care,
- medical knowledge,
- practice-based learning and improvement,
- interpersonal and communication skills,
- professionalism,
- and systems-based practice.
The Office of Medical Student Education is responsible for administering a variety of required and elective programs as well as assisting students in an advisory capacity. All medical students complete the Third Year Clerkship in Family Medicine. The department plays a major role in coordinating the required, four-year, interdepartmental Patient Centered Medicine course. A variety of electives are offered to students in their third year and fourth year. Department faculty support several non-credit preclinical electives.
The department offers a Community Oriented Primary Care Summer Assistantship, a highly regarded program that gives students the opportunity to become immersed in community health during the summer between first and second year. Faculty and staff in the Medical Student Education office are always available to discuss career options and residency selection and can put students in touch with other faculty who can answer questions and also advise.
The department maintains a network of over 200 volunteer faculty who participate in teaching activities. Students have the opportunity to work with physicians in almost any region within the State. Preceptors include volunteer faculty with the Rutgers Network of Affiliated Family Medicine Residencies, as well as physicians in private practice.
Education
Course Listing
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Third Year Clerkship
Interdisciplinary Courses
- Patient Centered Medicine II
All clinical placements are coordinated through the department's Office of Medical Student Education. The Human Sexuality Program is also administered through the office with Dr. Afran serving as director of this intensive 3-day program.
- Patient Centered Medicine III
- Patient Centered Medicine IV
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- Introduction to Sports Medicine
- Hospital-Based Family Practice (Network Family Medicine Residency Programs)
- Family Medicine Mini-Preceptorship (Network Residency & Private Offices)
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- Subinternship in Family Practice FMED 8990
- Family Practice Preceptorship FMED 9006
- Rural Family Medicine FMED 9009
- Research in Family Medicine FMED 9070
- Primary Care Sports Medicine/Spine and Rehabilitation FMED 9080
- Primary Care Sports Medicine FMED 9081
- Practical Skills for State Health Policy-Making FMED 9082
- Women's Reproductive Health and Education in Family Medicine FMED 9090A
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- HIPHOP Students Teaching Aids To Students (STATS)
- Alternative and Complimentary Medicine
- Issues in Women's Health
- Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) Summer Externship
- Medical Mandarin
- Medical Spanish
- Visual Literacy
- Medical Humanities
- Health Policy Elective
Summer Programs
Equity in Action Summer Internship Program
A seven-week paid summer interprofessional program open to Rutgers graduate health professions students in good academic standing. Students will develop a deep understanding of social determinants of health by working directly with the people served by an agency, reviewing and discussing evidence-based materials, and attending in-person and virtual workshops that will provide new skills and a broader understanding of diverse populations who are under-resourced.
Learn More About the Summer Internship Program
Preclinical Preceptorship
Pre-second year students are selected to participate in this summer preceptorship. Each student spends 2 weeks, fulltime, with a family doctor in private practice. Students develop skill in patient interviewing, gain familiarity with common problems encountered in family medicine and learn about the role of the family physician. For additional information contact Dr. Joyce Afran.
Research in Family Medicine
Summer research opportunities may be available with the Department’s Research Division. For more information contact Dr. Joyce Afran.
Community Medicine
Clerkship Service Learning
As part of the required Third Year Clerkship in Family Medicine, each student spends one-half day each week working with a community organization serving the underserved. Students work with addiction services organizations, schools, pre-school centers, domestic violence organizations, and other community partners providing health education, screening and other services.
Distinction in Service to the Community (DISC) Program
Distinction in Service to the Community is intended to support and recognize Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students who have shown exceptional interest, leadership and commitment to volunteering in the community and working with underserved populations.
Contact the Office
Staff
Enid N. Cruz, Administrative Analyst
Email: enid.cruz@rutgers.edu
Phone: 732-235-4200
Fax: 732-235-4202
Faculty
Joyce Afran, MD
Director
Email: afranjo@rutgers.edu
Betsy Mathew, MD
Email: betsy.mathew@rutgers.edu
All department faculty participate in Medical Student Education programs in an educational and advisory capacity.
Office of Medical Student Education
675 Hoes Lane Room N 106
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
Phone: 732-235-4200