Community Programs and Resources
Care That's Here for Good
Together, we want to build a better community, and it is our mission to help you be well, get well, and stay well. We continue our long tradition of bringing life-changing resources to communities we serve, meeting people where they live and work with empowering programs like our mobile farmers market and pediatric mobile health services, free cancer screenings, and health education.
Virtua Health is dedicated to advancing health equity in our region. We believe that all people deserve access to care that is high-quality, safe, and personalized care that empowers everyone to enjoy the best-possible quality of life. It is a partnership between our teams and those we are fortunate enough to care for, and it means working with our community partners to make a meaningful difference.
Learn more about some of our life-changing, community-building programs below.
Programs and Services
Eat Well Mobile Farmers Market
Our Mobile Farmers Market delivers healthy produce year round to communities throughout Burlington and Camden counties. Four days a week, our 23-foot bus sells fresh fruits and vegetables at significantly reduced prices.
Pediatric Mobile Services
Kids ages 5 and under who live in medically underserved areas can get health services they need, including check-ups, flu shots, screenings, and dental care too. Call 609-304-0151 for an appointment when we’re in your neighborhood.
Free Cancer Screenings
Virtua provides free cancer screenings for residents of Camden and Burlington Counties, in large part through its mobile program. Early detection can make all the difference, and Virtua offers clinical breast exams, mammograms, pap smears, pelvic exams, and more for eligible individuals.
Health Education Classes
Our classes share information about disease prevention, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, and parenting, nutrition, fitness, and wellness. And, we offer support groups for people with a range of concerns. In addition to offering clinical training for local nurses, paramedics and physicians, Virtua also has classes for the community, including pediatric and adult CPR.
Year-Round Nutrition Support
Virtua has wide array of programs and partnerships that support better nutrition, a building block for better health. From our annual Fight Hunger Campaign, to our annual Turkey and Fresh Produce Giveaway, Virtua supports thousands of families at the holidays and year round.
Request for Community Event Form
Virtua plays a key role in numerous activities to benefit the residents of the communities it serves above and beyond the normal day-to-day healthcare operations.
To inquire about Virtua’s community outreach programs, from speakers to events, please fill out this community event request form. Requests must be submitted at least 90 days prior to event.
A Commitment to Community Health
Although caring for the community is a responsibility – and honor – shared by every Virtua colleague, Virtua Health has a dedicated department that focuses on community need. This talented team includes public health professionals who are passionate about serving our region.
The South Jersey Health Collaborative, consisting of hospitals, health systems, and health departments within Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties, came together to undertake a comprehensive regional community health needs assessment (CHNA).
The South Jersey Health Collaborative partners have worked together since 2013 to create a collective CHNA for the region, as rigorous and inclusive process conducted every three years, in accordance with the with the Affordable Care Act. This collective action has generated robust, shared regional data and Community Health Improvement Plans for collective action to further the hospitals’ commitment to community health and population health management.
This 2022 CHNA builds upon Virtua Health’s 2013, 2016 and 2019 collaborative regional reports in accordance with the timelines and requirements set out in the Affordable Care Act. A wide variety of methods and tools were used to analyze the data collected both from community members and other sources throughout the region, leveraging socially distanced in person conversations, video conferencing, phone calls and survey tools. The findings gathered through this collaborative, inclusive process will be used to guide community benefit initiatives at Virtua Health and will engage the South Jersey Health Collaborative agencies and other community partners to address Virtua Health’s identified needs.
View the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment
Past CHNA Reports:
2019 CHNA
2016 CHNA
2013 CHNA - Virtua Marlton
2013 CHNA - Virtua Memorial
2013 CHNA - Virtua Voorhees
The 2022 South Jersey Health Collaborative (SJHC) CHNA reviewed health indicators, hosted focus groups with diverse populations, including youth, and solicited feedback through key informant survey and stakeholder interviews to interpret the quantitative and qualitative information collected through a lens of health equity – and opportunities to work toward equitable outcomes for all people. The impact of the inequities in social determinants of health are most evident among health outcomes in key areas: access to care, chronic disease, behavioral health, mental health among youth and maternal and child health.
Over the next three years, Virtua Health, in collaboration with community partners and local public health agencies will work toward implementing strategies to address the concerns identified by our community providing the resources to Be Well, Get Well and Stay Well.
Action Plan
View Virtua Health’s CHNA Action Plan 2023-2025
Virtua Health is closely aligned with a variety of community partners dedicated to advancing health equity in our region. That list includes, but is not limited to:
Virtua Health is a lead participant in the New Jersey AHEC program, operated by the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. For more than 40 years, the New Jersey AHEC has provided education and training to medical students and other health professionals with the goal of enhancing care access, equity, and cultural competency.
The River AHEC program, established in 2022, reflects Virtua’s intention to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce that ensures equitable care and improved health outcomes for all communities. Student participants have supported a number of Virtua programs, including pediatric early intervention and the Eat Well food access initiative, to better understand and address common challenges to population health. The participants have also facilitated health education discussions with senior citizens in the region.
For more information, please contact the Virtua colleagues listed below.
Shakera Rainner, MA LCSW
Manager
srainner@virtua.org
Yamilex Diaz-Fraction, MHA
Program Coordinator
ydiazfra@virtua.org
Values in Action
The community health engagement team at Virtua Health represents different service areas and specialties – all united in the goal of advancing health equity. The values below guide all discussions and decisions.
Communication and collaboration
Listening and sharing are the foundation of our ability to accomplish what our community needs from us.
Communication and collaboration
Listening and sharing are the foundation of our ability to accomplish what our community needs from us.
Respect
It is our honor to serve our community and advance health equity.
Respect
It is our honor to serve our community and advance health equity.
Data-driven efforts
Data collection and analysis allows us to measure our impact, make adjustments as needed, and ensure we are responsible to our community of patients.
Data-driven efforts
Data collection and analysis allows us to measure our impact, make adjustments as needed, and ensure we are responsible to our community of patients.
Servant leadership
We foster a shared sense of mission among our team for the ultimate benefit of our community.
Servant leadership
We foster a shared sense of mission among our team for the ultimate benefit of our community.
Innovation
Thinking differently is our persistent goal, leading to new and more powerful ways of serving those in need.
Innovation
Thinking differently is our persistent goal, leading to new and more powerful ways of serving those in need.