April 2019 | Margaret Koller, Joel C. Cantor | Opinion: A Roadmap to Better Health in New Jersey
It’s budget season in Trenton. Each year at this time, the New Jersey Legislature works to stretch our tax dollars as far as they can to fund the programs and services that they see as most important. It’s not an easy task.
But as our elected officials hold hearings and debate this year’s priorities, it is also important to take the long view about investing in the well-being of New Jersey residents. To help state leaders sort through priorities for making New Jersey a healthier and more equitable place, not just for today but for the coming years, we and some of our Rutgers colleagues — in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — recently recommended a series of policy options that, research shows, can boost health and well-being in our home state. The recommendations are the focus of a new report: Building a Culture of Health: A Policy Roadmap to Help All New Jerseyans Live Their Healthiest Lives.