KZG Clients Inspira and Camden Coalition

With the rising number of South Jersey residents seeking treatment for mental illnesses and addiction, KZG clients Inspira Health Network and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, together with the New Jersey Hospital Association, Cooper University Health Care, Kennedy Health System, Lourdes Health System and Virtua, recently launched a yearlong initiative to evaluate the region's behavioral health landscape and provide recommendations on how to improve the system.

The initiative, called the South Jersey Behavioral Health Innovation Collaborative, is a multi-phase project that will begin

first by collecting data from the five participating hospitals on how patients flow through their network of providers. The Collaborative will then analyze this data, striving to incorporate insights from key stakeholders, best practices and an evidence-based approach. The Collaborative will, ultimately, use these findings to provide recommendations for systemic changes that will better serve individuals with behavioral health needs.

"One hospital and one clinic can't solve this systemic behavioral health crisis; it operates at the community level. People are not getting the treatment they so desperately need," explained Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, M.D., executive director and medical director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers.

"The members of this collaborative believe that we can-and that we must-help create a more effective and compassionate behavioral health system. By working together, we have a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of the current situation in our region, learn from successful initiatives in other regions, and determine what steps we must take to consistently provide high quality behavioral health services to all who need them," added John DiAngelo, president and CEO of Inspira Health Network.

You can read more about the launch of the South Jersey Behavioral Health Innovation Collaborative by visiting the South Jersey Times, NJBIZ and the Courier Post. 

Meet the New Lawmaker:

In this month's installment of our "Meet the New Legislator" series, we introduce you to Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, a Democrat who represents the 17th legislative district in Middlesex and Somerset counties.

Mr. Danielsen was sworn into the New Jersey General Assembly on 

Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17)

October 16, 2014 to fill the unexpired term of Upendra Chivakula, who resigned to become a commissioner on the state Board of Public Utilities.

Born in March 1965, Mr. Danielsen received his Associate degree in Applied Science in Marketing Art and Design from Middlesex County College and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts from Rutgers University. 

A life-long resident of Franklin Township in Somerset County. Mr. Danielsen served on the Franklin Planning Board for 14 years and on the Franklin Township Board of Fire Commissioners for six years. Danielsen was serving as the chairman of the Democratic Party in Franklin when he was tapped by Democratic committee members to fill the Assembly seat left vacant following Chivukula's departure.

Assemblyman Danielsen, who owns Network Blade, LLC., a computer consulting service, served in the United States Army Reserve 78th Div. TNG (Jersey Lightning) for almost 10 years, and as a volunteer fire fighter for the past 22 years. He is also involved in fundraising for Childhood Cancer Research, Wounded Warrior and the LiveStrong foundations.

Danielsen currently serves on the Law and Public Safety Committee and the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee in the General Assembly. He joins Senator Bob Smith (D) and Asm. Joe Egan (D) in representing the 17th legislative district, which covers Franklin (Somerset), Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick and Piscataway townships.

Danielsen will serve in the Assembly until the end of former Asm. Chivukula's term in January 2016. The next election for the seat will take place in November 2015, when all 80 legislative seats will be up for grabs in the General Assembly. Assemblymen Danielsen and Egan are running unopposed in the June 2nd primaries and are expected to face Republicans Brajesh Singh and Robert Mettler in November, both of whom are also running unopposed in their primary.

For more information about Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, please visit his legislative Web page.

Jeannine LaRue Joins Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno

On April 22nd, KZG's Jeannine LaRue was pleased to join Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Lisa Furr-Gordon in speaking before more than 200 7th and 8th grade girls at the South Plainfield Middle School Women's Leadership Conference.

The Conference, hosted each year by the Women's Leadership Conference, brings women leaders to the South Plainfield Middle School to share their stories, provide insight into their leadership roles, and discuss their career paths to inspire young girls to pursue their

KZG's Jeannine LaRue, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Lisa Furr-Gordon

professional ambitions.

Now in its sixth year, the Conference invited New Jersey's Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, Jeannine LaRue, and Lisa Furr-Gordon, who supervises the largest morgue in the state, the Anatomy Laboratories and Morgue at Rutgers University in Newark, to speak about some of the challenges and rewards they experience as women leaders in today's professional arena.

"I've been the first one to do a couple of my jobs - first woman Sheriff in Monmouth County, first Lt. Governor in New Jersey - and I have discovered the importance of writing your own playbook," said Lt. Gov. Guadagno, who opened the discussion. "No matter what your gender is, you can forge your own path to success based on your best efforts.  As tomorrow's leaders, your achievements will redefine what is possible."

KZG's Jeannine LaRue elaborated upon this notion, sharing her experiences and knowledge gained through her over 40-year career in government affairs and policy, higher education and healthcare. 

Jeannine, who convened the first ever Statewide Women's Summit in 1992, also spoke about her personal experiences in breaking down the barriers that often impede the progress of women. She encouraged the students to maintain confidence, study with determination, cultivate their ambition and foster their independence.

 "You can do anything if you put your mind to it," she counseled the students. "Don't let anyone put you in a box."

Read more about this year's South Plainfield Women's Leadership Conference online, at Tap into South Plainfield.