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Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital partners with Mexican Consulate to offer health care service

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Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Mexican Consulate in New Brunswick have entered into a formal agreement to provide access to health care services, health prevention and educational initiatives, and health screening services to the Mexican community.

The services will be coordinated through the hospital’s Community Health Promotions Program.

The ceremonial signing of the agreement takes place Wednesday in RWJUH’s Auditorium, One Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick.

Under the agreement, RWJUH and the consulate will partner to develop the Ventanilla de Salud “to improve the physical and mental well-being of Mexicans living in the United States.”

The initiative will feature RWJUH Community Health Promoters (promotoras) who will be present at the consulate to provide information about primary and preventive health care services, as well as eligibility for public services, provide quality and culturally sensitive services, and work towards reducing the use of emergency services to have care delivered in the most appropriate setting.

The consulate is located at 390 George St., Suite 100, in New Brunswick.

“The Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick is honored to partner with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, which has a strong presence in the community, to serve as our Ventanilla de Salud and provide preventive health services and information to Mexicans in New Jersey that visit our office,” Head Consul Mariana Diaz said. “We look forward to working together to enhance the well-being of our community and promote a culture of health.”

“We have been working closely with the Consulate on programs in the community since it opened in 2023,” Mariam Merced, director of community health promotions for RWJUH, said. “Formalizing our partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to increase access to health care services in culturally sensitive and equitable ways, while also addressing key social determinants of health in the Mexican community.”

Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

In 2023, Mexico opened its first consulate in New Jersey in New Brunswick. Previously, Mexican nationals in New Jersey were served by the Consulate General of Mexico in New York.

Consulates offer a wide range of services, including the issuance of passports, passport renewals, consular ID cards, powers of attorney, and the registration of the U.S.-born children of Mexicans who live in the U.S. for dual citizenship. Consulates also provide information on health, education, and financial literacy to Mexican nationals, as well as referrals for legal consultations on immigration, civil, labor, and other issues.

New Brunswick is home to the second-largest population of Mexican nationals in New Jersey, behind only Passaic.