The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) hosted its third annual Healthy Communities and Homes Summit this week. The gathering drew over 200 members of the health care and community development sectors to examine successful partnerships across the state and country as well as how stakeholders can improve the health of residents and neighborhoods.

 “Our homes are the core of our daily lives, most people spend the majority of their time indoors with the largest chunk of that time spent in the home,” said Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Network. “The health care industry is realizing that poor quality, inadequate housing is a major contributor to costly health problems. They’re collaborating with the community development sector to create healthier places in communities impacted by deep and entrenched poverty.” Read More

AGENDA (Click here for a printer friendly version)

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Networking Breakfast

9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Opening Remarks

• Leslie Stivale, Vice Chair, HCDNNJ Board of Directors

9:40 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. Morning Plenary: Healthcare Institutions' Roles in Community Development

• Donald F. Schwarz, Senior Vice President, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (click here for presentation)

10:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Panel: How can collaboration between healthcare institutions and housing and community development organizations be mutually beneficial?

• Harold Simon, Executive Director and Publisher, Shelterforce (moderator)
• Josh Leopold, Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute
• Brian Rahmer, Vice President of Health and Housing, Enterprise Community Partners
• Kendra Smith, Director of Social Determinants of Health, ProMedica

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Presentation on Health Impact Assesments

• Karen Lowrie, Edward J. Bloustien School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University
  (Click here for presentation)

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch & Discussion

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Keynote: Nationwide Children’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families Initiative

• Angela Mingo, Community Relations Director, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  (Click here for presentation)

1:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Charles A Richman, Executive Director, NJ Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency (Click here for special announcement)

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Panel: How can collaboration between healthcare institutions and housing and community development organizations be increased in New Jersey?

• Victoria Brogan, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, New Jersey Hospital Association (moderator)
• Suzanne Ghee, Assistant VP, Strategic Business Growth & Community Health Engagement, Virtua Health, Inc.
• Ronice Bruce, SouthWard Newark Health Initiative
• Michellene Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, RWJBarnabas Health
• Florence Kariuki, MHA, RN, Clinical Design Lead, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ

3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks

• Staci Berger, President and CEO, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.