RWJBarnabas Health Launches NJ’s First Ever Street Medicine Program to Serve Unhoused Population, Deliver Critical Care and Lower Mortality Rates

Rollout at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth with Goal to Expand across State

RWJBarnabas Health leadership and Trinitas Regional Medical Center staff join local officials to cut the ribbon for the Street Medicine Program. from left: Syeda Chillious, DPM, Podiatry Resident, Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC); Flavio Salinas, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, TRMC; Laura Ciraco, Vice President, Development, TRMC; Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, Senior Vice President, Community Health, RWJBarnabas Health; John D'Angelo, DO, Chief Quality and Medical Officer, TRMC; Edward Egan, MD, Medical Director, RWJBarnabas Health Street Medicine Program; Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, TRMC; Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage; Union County Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded; Union County Commissioner Lourdes M. Leon; Nicole Fracassini, DO, Psychiatry Resident, TRMC; and Emma Hallowell, MD, Psychiatry Resident, TRMC.

Elizabeth, N.J. - May 19, 2026 - RWJBarnabas Health today launched New Jersey's first Street Medicine Program at Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC) to bring essential care and services directly to unhoused individuals across the City of Elizabeth with the goal of expanding to other areas in the state to improve access to care among a particularly vulnerable population.

Through this initiative, RWJBarnabas Health will deploy a highly trained medical team into the community to meet and care for patients where they are, while also connecting them to physical, mental and behavioral health services, transportation and local clinics for long-term health solutions. The team will travel around the city in a clearly marked van, visiting homeless shelters, transitional housing centers, and other spaces where people experiencing homelessness typically congregate.

RWJBarnabas Health leadership, Trinitas Regional Medical Center staff, and local officials cut the ribbon for the Street Medicine Program. from left: Syeda Chillious, DPM, Podiatry Resident, Trinitas Regional Medical Center (TRMC); Flavio Salinas, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, TRMC; Laura Ciraco, Vice President, Development, TRMC; Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, Senior Vice President, Community Health, RWJBarnabas Health; John D'Angelo, DO, Chief Quality and Medical Officer, TRMC; Edward Egan, MD, Medical Director, RWJBarnabas Health Street Medicine Program; Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, TRMC; Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage; Union County Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded; Union County Commissioner Lourdes M. Leon; Nicole Fracassini, DO, Psychiatry Resident, TRMC; and Emma Hallowell, MD, Psychiatry Resident, TRMC.

"Our Street Medicine Program is born from a culture that recognizes everyone, regardless of circumstance, is deserving of compassion and access to the world-class healthcare we provide," said Mark E. Manigan, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. "Being the first in New Jersey to put such a focus on the immediate healthcare needs of some of our most vulnerable residents is something in which RWJBarnabas Health takes tremendous pride."

Unavailable in New Jersey until now, the Street Medicine Program will deliver a full spectrum of care with a broad scope of services to meet the urgent needs of the community, including:

• Urgent & Acute Care
• Chronic Disease Management & Preventive Care
• Mental Health & Street Psychiatry
• Substance Use Support & Harm Reduction
• Service Delivery Methods
• Care Coordination Strategies

"We are proud to launch the Street Medicine Program here at Trinitas Regional Medical Center and support the Elizabeth community," said TRMC President and CEO Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE. "Every single day we see first-hand the impacts of homelessness on one's physical, mental, and emotional health. This initiative strategically delivers care to those who need it most, helping intervene and prevent a health crisis that would require emergency care."

The new Street Medicine Team Mobile Unit.

Supported through an appropriation by the State of New Jersey, the Street Medicine Programis part of RWJBarnabas Health's Our Healthy Communities initiative aimed at improving health access and outcomes by addressing disparities and barriers to care.

"The Street Medicine Program advances RWJBarnabas Health's mission of providing quality, compassionate and accessible care to the communities we serve,"said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, RWJBarnabas Health Senior Vice President, Community Health. "Sending our team out into Elizabeth will be transformative, driving down mortality rates and improving health outcomes for patients in need. This impactful work would not be possible without the support of the State of New Jersey, and we are deeply grateful for that partnership."

Through Our Healthy Communities, RWJBarnabas Health is partnering with local leaders, health care providers, clergy, civic and community-based organizations to strengthen critical social and health care infrastructure and expand patient access to care, healthy foods, nutrition education, transportation, economic mobility, and stable housing. Through the community health resources from the State of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health has reinvested more than $151 million in community health initiatives beyond traditional medical care to build and sustain long-term health for the residents and communities it serves.

Edward Egan, MD, Street Medicine Medical Director, RWJBarnabas Health drives the new Street Medicine Team Mobile Unit.

"This initiative will be life-changing for our city," said Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. "I am grateful to RWJBarnabas Health and the team at Trinitas Regional Medical Center for launching this program that will provide care to the homeless in our city and strengthen community health across the region."

Led by TRMC Emergency Department (ED) attending physician Dr. Edward Egan, the Street Medicine Program will serve as a reliable entry point for care for people experiencing homelessness and facing additional barriers including lack of health insurance and transportation. The program will provide specialized medical care to unhoused individuals and enable them to receive needed treatments and intervention for physical and psychiatric concerns.

"I'm excited that we are officially launching the Street Medicine Program and I look forward to helping lead this team,"said Edward Egan, MD, Medical Director, Street Medicine. "We know the unhoused population face disproportionate barriers to receiving the care they need. This program will make a meaningful difference in our patients' lives and help prevent hospitalizations, ensuring we can continue to deliver world-class care to our patients at TRMC and support the broader Elizabeth community."

RWJBarnabas Health's Street Medicine Program is one of several created by the health system to specifically serve New Jersey's homeless population, which has reached a 10-year high according to the latest annual NJ Counts report, with nearly 14,000 unhoused statewide.

In April, RWJBarnabas Health invested $1 million to provide critical services to people experiencing homelessness in Ocean County after launching the "Gateway to Hope" program last year with NJ TRANSIT and the City of Newark to support unhoused residents at Newark Penn Station.

About RWJBarnabas Health

RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.

RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state's largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.

RWJBarnabas Health's commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit https://www.RWJBH.org.

About Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Trinitas Regional Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, was established in 2000 following the consolidation of Elizabeth General Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital. Previously in 1990, Elizabeth General acquired the Alexian Brothers Hospital, also in Elizabeth. The spirit of the three Elizabeth hospitals lives on in Trinitas, a major center for comprehensive health services for those who live and work in Central New Jersey. Trinitas is a Catholic teaching medical center with Catholic oversight provided by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. With 12 Centers of Excellence across the continuum of care, Trinitas has distinguished itself in cardiology, cancer care, behavioral health, renal care, nursing education, diabetes management, wound healing, breast health, senior's healthcare, women's healthcare, and sleep medicine.

Contact: Carrie [email protected]