NJDOH Acting Commissioner Shares Closing Message Ahead of Gubernatorial Transition

Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown shares the following statement as he prepares to conclude his service at the Department of Health:

"As the Murphy Administration draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished together, and to express my deep gratitude for the privilege of serving the people of New Jersey.

"Leading this Department as Acting Commissioner for the past nine months has been the honor of my career. But the work we celebrate today belongs to the more than 6,000 dedicated public servants of the New Jersey Department of Health, who give their expertise, compassion, and resilience to serve the state.

"Over the past eight years, this team has confronted extraordinary challenges. We navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, responded to emerging threats from mpox to avian influenza, and continued the essential but often invisible work that keeps New Jerseyans healthy and safe. Throughout it all, we remained grounded in science and committed to serving every resident with care and dignity.

"NJDOH under the Murphy Administration has much to show for these years:

• We expanded harm reduction centers to all 21 counties and achieved the first year-over-year decline in overdose deaths across all racial and ethnic groups in a decade.
• We strengthened our health care workforce through graduate medical education and tuition reimbursement for providers in underserved areas, reworked our charity care model to better support un- and underinsured New Jerseyans, and built crisis response teams to help struggling nursing homes stabilize.
• We modernized how New Jerseyans access their health information, from the Docket app that helps families keep track of immunizations and childhood lead tests to digital WIC benefits.
• We advanced maternal health initiatives and drove down persistent disparities through community health workers, doulas, and targeted interventions.
• We created new pathways to integrated care by removing regulatory barriers that artificially separated physical health, mental health, and addiction services artificially.
• We protected public health and access to vaccines with the first comprehensive update to communicable disease and immunization regulations (N.J.A.C. 8:57) in 25 years.
• We earned accreditation and re-accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board by meeting national standards for high quality public health services.
• And we built new partnerships - from academic collaborations at our state psychiatric hospitals, to the launch of New Jersey's first designated public health institute, to the Northeast Public Health Collaborative - that position our state for the challenges ahead.

"Every day, this Department conducts newborn screenings for around 100,000 babies born in New Jersey each year, supports a quarter-million pregnant and postpartum residents through WIC, ensures health facilities deliver quality care, and provides compassionate treatment at our four state psychiatric hospitals. This work continues regardless of who holds office, carried forward by professionals who chose public service because they believe in its mission.

"The important work done by the Department of Health is made possible not just by the employees of the Department, but relies on working closely with partners across the public and private sector throughout New Jersey who collaborate to uphold the public health of the state.

"Public health is not always easy, and its value is often seen in what doesn't happen, making it easy to take for granted until catastrophe hits. Today, these challenges are compounded by belligerent efforts to undermine the values, science, and institutions that are essential to our work, and an information ecosystem awash in falsehoods spread through ignorance or deliberate deception.

"But I have seen firsthand the strength of this Department. It comes from its people - their expertise, their dedication, and their unwavering commitment to protecting the public's health. I know they're up for the challenge.

"As the Sherrill Administration takes the reins, I am confident that New Jersey's public health is in capable hands. The Department has a strategic plan focused on preparedness, equity, modernization, and addressing the upstream drivers of health. Our teams are ready to meet whatever comes next, from ensuring a safe 2026 FIFA World Cup to continuing the daily work that often goes unnoticed but never stops mattering.

"To the residents of New Jersey: Thank you for entrusting us with your health and the health of your families.

"To my colleagues at the Department of Health: Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your service.

"To Dr. Raynard Washington: The opportunity to steward this noble work - and to work alongside so many committed public servants - is an extraordinary privilege. Know that this Department stands ready to follow your bold vision for public health in New Jersey. I wish you the best of luck.

"The mission of the New Jersey Department of Health endures: To protect the public's health, promote healthy communities, and improve the quality of health care for all New Jerseyans."