Creating a Premier Academic Health System for New Jersey

July 24, 2018

Members of the Rutgers Community:

We are pleased to announce that today the Rutgers Board of Governors approved a resolution outlining the terms of a public-private partnership with RWJBarnabas Health to jointly operate a world-class academic health system dedicated to life-changing research, clinical training of tomorrow’s workforce, and high-quality health care for all. RWJBarnabas Health’s Board of Trustees approved proceeding with the partnership at their last meeting.

As of today, RWJBarnabas and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences have officially aligned as New Jersey’s health care and higher education leaders to increase access to care and reduce health care disparities, fundamentally changing health care in New Jersey and beyond.

RWJBarnabas Health will invest $100 million initially, and then more than one billion dollars over 20 years, to expand the education and research mission of the integrated academic health system, including:

  • The recruitment of leading clinical and academic leaders and faculty to build and expand the enterprise;
  • The recruitment of approximately 100 new high-caliber principal investigators by Rutgers over ten years, to double our research portfolio;
  • $10 million in financial support earmarked to encourage Rutgers medical students to remain in and provide care to residents of New Jersey;
  • Appropriately balancing the size of residency and fellowship programs across the state to enhance education;
  • Increasing opportunities to train our medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, and other health professional students in inter-professional clinical environments; and
  • Expanded access to clinical trials, bringing the newest and most promising treatments to all the people of New Jersey.

In addition, RWJBarnabas Health will also fund the construction of a new clinical and research building for the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center, as well as a new ambulatory care center, both in New Brunswick.

Rutgers and RWJBarnabas Health will remain separate institutions, each maintaining our own employees with separate finances. There will be no transfer of employees to RWJBarnabas Health.

We are excited about the many benefits of this partnership:

  • Recruitment and retention of high-quality faculty;
  • Regional and national reputation as a premier academic health center;
  • Advancement of health science innovation;
  • Development of centers of excellence across a wide spectrum of clinical specialties;
  • Integration of the respective employed practices;
  • Enhancement of the delivery of and access to advanced, evidence-based health care;
  • Our shared dedication of collective resources to educating health professionals and delivering patient care to improve health;
  • Commitment to investing in innovation across a wide spectrum of areas that support clinical, academic, and research strategies;
  • Commitment to operating in a coordinated manner, with meaningful and active participation across entities and fully aligned strategic plans; and
  • Our shared commitment to health improvement through community and patient outreach and prevention and treatment of disease.

Our Boards’ endorsement demonstrates their confidence that our institutions share the same values, goals, and ambitions to fundamentally transform health care for all patients, students, and residents of New Jersey. Key among these transformative efforts is the formation of a comprehensive medical group composed of employed physicians and other health care professionals from RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health.

When finalized over the coming months, the newly formed medical group will have a unified clinical mission that complements our high-quality standards of teaching and research excellence. RWJBarnabas Health will take the lead in the clinical enterprise, while RBHS will take the lead in the academic enterprise, including all research and education.

We have established a website that includes the press release from today’s announcement along with a list of frequently asked questions. 

We are thrilled about this partnership and all it will mean for the future of our institution—including every employee, faculty member, and student—and the health of our residents and the nation.

Sincerely,

Robert Barchi
President

Brian Strom
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Executive Vice President, Health Affairs