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Commissioner Heather Howard, Department of Health and Senior Services: Today is the
kickoff to National Federally Qualified Health Center Week, so it is really our chance to
celebrate our collaboration with our federally qualified health centers. We have 20 in the
state that operate at 93 sites throughout the state and they really are the safety net for the
uninsured and the medically underserved.
Dep. Commissioner Jeanine Bender, Department of Human Services: When the Governor
first came in to office in January 2006, he challenged us to enroll 50,000 new
children in the program. We have far exceeded that and in fact over the couple of years
since January 2006, we have actually enrolled 360,000 more children who have never
been enrolled in New Jersey family care before. That actually translates into about
85,000 new children net in the program, for a total of nearly
600,000 children in the program today.
Governor Jon S. Corzine: We believe in this and we have a healthcare crisis in this
country. We have a primary care health crisis in this country and if we do not address it
by going at it directly, the way you all do in the communities on an ambulatory care
basis, people do not have anywhere to turn.
April Kmieckick, Healthcare Recipient: I found out I was pregnant. I contacted the
father, let him know and he wanted me to get an abortion.
For me personally, I knew…I’m sorry…I knew that was something I could
never do and so I called up my family and they helped me pack up and move back
and I just knew basically my whole life had fallen apart,
it was not planned anything like that, so I just started looking in the
phone book calling whoever I could. I got a lot of phone numbers from a lot of different
people and I ended up at Ocean Health Initiative in actually the Toms River office and
they basically took care of me from there. They set me up with, they helped me get
Medicaid and a full medical staff, they helped me get all the blood work and sonograms
and everything that comes with prenatal care and they actually even helped me find
counseling so that I could have somebody to talk to during the time and a few months
later I ended up with a beautiful, healthy baby girl, here she is. [Applause]
Governor Corzine: It is absolutely, I think, the bottom line of where we have to go and
so for all of you that make this your career, that you spend so much time in providing that
kind of clinic, I want to say thank you, bottom of my heart.
Commissioner Heather Howard: Governor Corzine, I think we are so proud of the
accomplishments under your administration to expand access to care through our
medical homes, through our FQHCs and to give more people health
insurance through expanded family care.
Dep. Commissioner Jeanine Bender: Governor, without your leadership we certainly
could not do it and that has just been what has made the difference. In particular, with
our express lane eligibility application program.
Kathryn Grant Davis, NJ Primary Care Association President: This is big for us. He has
been such a supporter of community health centers. We have 20, they are in 20 different
counties that serve 366,000 patients. Many of our new patients are because of the
funding and support of the Governor.
April Kmieckick: I do not know a lot about how it is with other countries but you know,
I am just really grateful that I came from a place that I could have found myself in that
situation and be taken care of.