NJ Public Health Training Center

683 Hoes Lane West • Piscataway, NJ 08854

732-235-3454 • www.njphtc.org

The NJ Public Health Training Center (NJPHTC) was established in September 2010 with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  The NJPHTC is part of the network of Public Health Training Centers across the U.S., and is housed at the Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway.  As of September, 2014, the NJ Public Health Training Center became part of a larger, “Region 2 Public Health Training Center”, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico; beginning in September of 2015, the US Virgin Islands will join the Center. 

The NJPHTC works very closely with the New jersey Department of Health, and the various public health organizations across the state, to further develop relevant training opportunities.  These organizations include: NJ Association of County and City Health Officials (NJACCHO), the NJ Society of Public Health Educators (NJSOPHE), NJ Association of Public Health Nurse Administrators (NJAPHNA), NJ Environmental Health Association (NJEHA) and NJ Society of Public Health Epidemiologists.

Core Training Center Goals: There are four primary goals of the Center, and these are briefly described below.

1) Conduct comprehensive assessments of the current and projected training needs of the public health workforce

The Center has worked with each of the public health disciplines to conduct training needs assessments, to help identify key training needs for each group. In addition to the assessments, facilitated via an audience response system, follow up sessions were held with leaders of each public health organization to refine class offerings.

2) Develop and implement training opportunities

In partnership with the public health organizations throughout the state, the NJPHTC provides and / or supports relevant training opportunities to the current public health workforce. NJPHTC works to assure the fullest possible access to our programs, by offering trainings in different geographic areas of the state. Further, we are pleased to provide many of our programs, particularly those in the Public Health Seminar Series and Grand Rounds from the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, via live-stream, to allow greater access, from the convenience of the workplace.  Lastly, all recorded programs are available for later viewing Rutger’s “Moodle” system, which is free to all users.  Visit our Training Archives page for details.

3) Establish collaborative projects which contribute to local public health capacity

The Center seeks to work with targeted communities, engaging local practitioners and SPH faculty from all three campuses in collaborative projects.

4) Place Fieldwork students and student interns in target communities to support local public health capacity

NJPHTC works to facilitate greater exposure to practice-based public health, by placing more students in governmental public health agencies, and in community-based organizations which work in partnership with governmental public health. In addition, our Bridging the Gaps program places two-person teams of graduate students in urban, community based health organizations, to see and learn first hand the public health issues facing these communities.

Preparing the Future Public Health Workforce

The Training Center has worked with Community Colleges and Universities to establish an AS degree in Public Health which will prepare students to transfer to four-year institution, and continue their studies in Public Health.  Four Community Colleges -- Middlesex, County College of Morris, Brookdale Community College, and Mercer Community College will offer the degree beginning September of 2015.   These community colleges will establish articulation agreements with The Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, Montclair State University and William Paterson University, to align with the public health curriculum in those schools.

For more information about the Public Health Training Center, please contact Colleen McKay Wharton, Program Manager via email or 732-235-3454.