New Health Department Strategic Plan and Reorganization Chart Bold Path Toward a Healthier New Jersey

Organizational change a key step under comprehensive strategy to ensure all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential.

TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) today released its Strategic Plan for 2025-2030, a vital tool and call to action designed to drive meaningful and measurable improvements in health outcomes for all 9.5 million New Jersey residents. To realize the goals of this ambitious blueprint, NJDOH has adapted its organizational structure to better meet current and future health challenges and more effectively serve New Jersey's diverse communities and needs.

Developed through collaborative efforts incorporating extensive stakeholder engagement and informed by nearly 2,000 Department employee responses, the strategic plan positions NJDOH to lead with purpose. The plan and reorganization align the Department's daily operations with its mission and long-term objectives, directing resources where they can have the greatest impact and meet the evolving health needs of New Jersey communities.

"This Strategic Plan represents our collective commitment to transformation and excellence, with our reorganization signaling a decisive step forward," said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. "It's a roadmap for delivering on the promise that -no matter who you are or where you live in the Garden State-you deserve to have access to the resources needed to live a long, healthy life. Together with our partners across the state, we can create a future where every resident can thrive."

In May, the Department achieved national reaccreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), demonstrating its commitment to continuous quality improvement, evidence-based service, and accountability. This reaccreditation, achieved in combination with the new Strategic Plan and reorganization, positions NJDOH to deliver on nationally recognized standards of excellence and navigate the changing public health landscape.

As the Department enters this chapter with lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and new public health challenges on the horizon, the Department is completing a major organizational restructuring to drive success. The new organizational chart can be found here. These changes ensure the Department's structure more directly supports its mission to safeguard public health and reduce health disparities while positioning NJDOH to be more responsive, data-driven, and effective in addressing today's health challenges and preparing for tomorrow's emergencies.

The most significant change establishes a fourth principal branch elevating the Department's work focused on chronic disease prevention and addressing the social determinants of health. The new Population Health Branch houses the Department's existing programs focused on health access and opportunity, harm reduction, sexually transmitted diseases, family health, and nutrition services.

The Department has also created a new Division of Health Data and Analytics, reporting directly to the Commissioner. This centralizes data capabilities to support evidence-based decision-making across all programs and reflects a commitment to modernizing data systems across NJDOH.

The Strategic Plan is anchored in NJDOH's core values of integrity, equity, diversity, transparency, innovation, partnership, community, and credibility. These values guide five strategic priorities designed to deliver real change:

• Improve population health outcomes with a focus on prevention by ensuring successful program delivery for New Jersey residents;

• Advance health equity for all by eliminating health disparities;

• Modernize data infrastructure, optimize its use for decision-making, and foster a culture of data sharing and transparency;

• Strengthen the resilience and improve the infrastructure of public health systems to ensure they can effectively respond to the public's needs; and

• Build sustainable emergency response capabilities to ensure continuous readiness.

The Strategic Plan responds directly to emerging public health trends, including lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent need to address longstanding systemic health inequities, and the imperative to build a holistic public health ecosystem that fosters strong connections between health care and public health. By addressing these challenges head-on, NJDOH commits to building systems that incorporate community feedback into planning decisions while expanding efforts to address social determinants of health.

As one component of the State's reaccreditation, the Strategic Plan aligns with the State Health Improvement Plan and Healthy New Jersey 2030, to guide internal and external public health action going forward.

Four key enablers will ensure sustained progress toward the Strategic Plan:

• Developing the public health workforce in New Jersey through targeted recruitment and a comprehensive onboarding program;
• Improving collaboration with health care systems, local health departments, and community-based organizations;
• Enhancing communication processes to build trust and increase awareness; and
• Increasing internal efficiency to better serve the NJDOH mission.

NJDOH values its collaborative relationships with external partners across the State and relies on their important work. As part of the reorganization, the Department has been and will continue engaging with partners who may be impacted, providing opportunities to discuss details and sharing the vision outlined in the Strategic Plan.

The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 5,500 employees, the Department serves to protect the public's health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey.

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