In New Jersey, each one of the 565 municipalities has their choice of how to manage its board of health. Some towns choose to work with their county Department of Health, while others are aligned with regional health commissions, who typically service a select cluster of municipalities. The state Department of Health is an entirely separate entity, which I know very little about. As a Councilmember in one of these 565 municipalities, there has never been a reason for me to even reference the state DOH.
At first glance, and given the choice, it seems like the preference would be to go with a smaller regional health commission, with easy and quick access to service for any health issue in your town. A one-on-one relationship with a “local” service provider who knows the ins and outs of your town, and who could address your needs more fully. Over time, a relationship would be established. The Administration of a municipality could pick up the phone and dial a direct number to their Board of Health Director.
Then, along comes a pandemic, something the current population has never experienced in our town, state, county, region, or country. New Jersey is home to some of the best healthcare in the world. We are saturated by world renowned physicians and scientists. And those in need of medical attention in this pandemic are receiving some of the best care available anywhere. But in a pandemic, the ability to manage is equal to the quality of care. So how do you best manage a pandemic? By receiving and analyzing accurate data. Who provides the data? Health Departments. But how can that data be reliably gathered and analyzed with so many different entities? It can’t.
Home rule has been New Jersey’s greatest weakness in our battle against the Coronavirus. It is not necessarily the fault of the various health departments. It is just how we do business in the state of New Jersey. We are still suffering many deaths in this pandemic, and unfortunately, it could take months before we have accurate data on exactly how many, and where they all occurred. And without that, we cannot predict trends accurately. The numbers are inconsistent across the state, and long-term care and assisted living facilities have proven to be the hardest numbers to determine.
None of this is to cast blame. But as terrible as it is to lose so many people, this is an opportunity to do better. When it comes to our health, we may need a stronger structure in place, primarily through our state Department of Health. Clutching to home rule just is not worth it on this one. I am looking forward to contributing to change. I am looking forward to a better stronger New Jersey.
Tales of a Councilwoman 