Representatives from Allies, Inc., together with our affiliates of the Woods System of Care, as well as other community providers and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, were thrilled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woods Primary and Behavioral Health Center at Hamilton.
The center at Hamilton is the result of a collaborative effort between the Woods System of Care and RWJBarnabas Health that will provide integrated primary care and behavioral health services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and complex needs in New Jersey.
“The center will greatly enhance both access to and the quality of healthcare for individuals served at Allies as well as those served by other IDD provider agencies within the state,” Dawn King, VP of Integrated Healthcare at Allies, said. “This center is going to help bridge the gap of health disparity impacting the people we support.”
The new facility promises higher quality of continuous healthcare for the individuals who will receive care there. The integrated healthcare model focuses on treating the patient as a whole person, instead of treating each body system independently.
“This clinic offers those we support an opportunity to receive high-quality, impactful, and focused continuous care by physicians specifically trained to work with people with intellectual and or developmental disabilities,” Mike Haggerty, President at Allies, said. “The opening of this office will revolutionize the care offered to this vulnerable population by concentrating on wellness and preventive care.”
The ribbon cutting and grand opening represent several years of collaboration and partnership between the Woods System of Care and the RWJBarnabas Health hospital system.
“This is an exciting day for us, and this represents a great partnership with the Woods System of Care,” Lisa Breza, Chief Administrative Officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, said. “This is a patient population where we know there is a real need, so we are excited to have everyone here in the room with us.”
The introduction of this integrated healthcare practice heralds more projects like it in New Jersey.
“This is a flag that has been planted, and it might just be the start of the beginning of other similar projects throughout the state,” John Doll, Chief Operating Officer of RWJBarnabas Health, said.
“I really appreciate all of the hours everyone put into this program,” Logan Giberson, an individual who is supported by Allies, Inc., said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It has been very rewarding to see all of it coming together.”
