New center merges housing and healthcare in Newark's West Ward

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- In Newark’s West Ward, primary care physicians are virtually impossible to find.

Like many dense urban areas, a shortage of doctors forces many residents to turn to emergency rooms for routine care.

“Across the country, we’re finding in big cities that there’s not a great availability of general physicians, general mental health [treatment],” said Ed Jimenez, President and CEO of University Hospital in Newark.

Jimenez was on hand Monday for the ribbon cutting of University Hospital’s Health and Wellness Center, a new community-based facility aimed at providing preventative care and reducing ER visits. It offers preventative and wellness care, lab tests, and women’s health services.

“A lot of residents that live in Georgia King Village and that live in the West Ward don’t go to the doctor,” said Gee Cureton, a resident of the nearby apartment complex and a community advocate.

“We want to treat them right here, so that they don’t have to go to the ER,” said nurse practitioner Margaret Richards.

The Health and Wellness Center is a blend of healthcare and housing. The ground floor provides medical services, while the top five floors offer affordable housing, including 16 units for people who were unhoused.

“It’s not like your typical hospital,” said Cureton. “It’s more home-like and friendly.”

The center will expand to tailor fit the community’s needs, bringing in specialists based on demand. “We really become a part of the community, and I think that’s the game changer,” said Jimenez.