Health Center Program - Rutgers, The State University RWJ Eric B. Chandler Health Center Descriptive Title: HRSA FY25 Service Area Competition Funding Opportunity # HRSA-25-014 SAC ID: 140 Assistance Listing Number: 93.224 Funding Amount Requested: $3,327,129 Project Duration: March 1, 2025, through February 29, 2028 Grant # H80CS49339 Project Abstract The Eric B. Chandler Health Center (EBCHC), a flagship community health center in New Brunswick, New Jersey, operated jointly by Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and the Eric B. Chandler Community Board, Inc., is requesting $3,327,129 in HRSA funding for the period from March 1, 2025, through February 29, 2028. Since its inception in 1987 and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) look-alike designation in 1991 and has received HRSA funding since 1993. EBCHC has expanded to meet the healthcare needs of an underserved population through multiple sites, including the primary center, a secondary center on Church Street, and a school-based health center at New Brunswick High School. In 2023, EBCHC served 15,008 patients, reflecting our commitment to delivering comprehensive, culturally competent, and quality healthcare services. Our patient-centered medical home (PCMH) designation underscores our dedication to quality care across a spectrum of services including family medicine, internal medicine, lab services, infectious disease (e.g., HIV counseling, testing, and treatment), pediatrics, OB/GYN, podiatry, family planning, and dentistry. Behavioral health services addressing mental health and substance use disorders, alongside enabling services such as social services, community outreach, nutrition, and health education, further complement our care offerings. Through our affiliation with RWJMS, we provide access to more intensive care when needed. The EBCHC Service Area includes over 800,000 residents in the Central Jersey region surrounding New Brunswick in Middlesex County. This service area is characterized by significant socioeconomic challenges: 56% of the population has incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), with 35% living below 100% FPL. Our patient demographics reflect these challenges, with 97% of our patients living below 200% FPL and 77% below 100% FPL. The service area also experiences high rates of uninsured individuals (9%), Medicaid recipients (13.6%), food stamp/SNAP users (16%), and individuals lacking a high school diploma (36%). The area is highly diverse, with 94% of EBCHC patients and at least 62% of residents identifying as racial or ethnic minorities, necessitating culturally tailored services. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental health issues, and oral health problems in our patient population underscores the need for comprehensive care that can manage these conditions and prevent more severe health complications. By the end of 2026, EBCHC’s goal is to serve 16,000 unduplicated patients, while ensuring that our integrated delivery systems continue to provide essential primary, preventive, enabling, and supplemental health care services to a growing at-risk population, regardless of their ability to pay. With continued HRSA funding, EBCHC will sustain and enhance its efforts to provide highquality, culturally competent care to the underserved community in the greater New Brunswick area, increasing access and utilization of vital health services.
