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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
AbbreviationRWJF
Founded1936
FounderRobert Wood Johnson II
PurposeImproving the health and well-being of all in America
Location
Area served
National
MethodGrantmaking and social change
CEO
Richard Besser
Key people
Julie Morita
Disbursements~$500 million annually
Endowment$13 billion[1] (2020)
Employees
270
Websitewww.rwjf.org

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the largest American philanthropic organization focused solely on health. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, the foundation focuses on access to health care, public health, health equity, leadership and training, and changing systems to address barriers to health related to racial bias and other forms of discrimination.[2][3] RWJF has been credited with helping to develop the 911 emergency system, reducing tobacco use among Americans, lowering rates of unwanted teenage pregnancies, and improving perceptions of hospice care.[3]

Overview

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Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey,[2] the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports the development of programs which can be used in community-led initiatives, or by government bodies when developing policies and social programs;[4] funds research through surveys and polls;[5] and makes impact investments.[6] According to Pensions & Investments and Foundation Center, the foundation was the fifth largest in the U.S. in investment assets, as of 2015.[7][8] As of 2020, the value of its endowment was $13 billion.[1]

History

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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was initially established as the Johnson-New Brunswick Foundation in December 1936, and focused on charitable efforts in New Brunswick and Middlesex County, New Jersey. The original board of trustees included Robert Wood Johnson II, John Seward Johnson II, and others.[9] It was renamed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1952.[10] Robert Wood Johnson II left a bequest of 10,204,377 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock to the foundation upon his death in 1968. The foundation became a national philanthropy in 1972.[11][4] The value of the stock was more than US$1 billion, making it the second largest private foundation at the time.[12]

1972–1985

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Initially, the foundation worked on improving access to health care, with a focus on impoverished and minority groups, infant and elder care, and mental health.[13] It created a $15 million grant program to contribute to the development of emergency services systems in the United States. Then-president David E. Rogers established a partnership with the National Academy of Sciences to increase oversight of how the funds were used and assess project outcomes. Ultimately, the funds were distributed to 44 grantees in amounts ranging from $350,000 to $400,000. The primary aspects of emergency medical services the program funded included: technology access, such as equipping ambulances with radios; training for ambulance drivers and dispatchers; interagency coordination through a national centralized, regional-based system; and development of the 911 emergency system. In 1973, 11 percent of areas covered by the foundation's program had access to a centralized emergency services system. By 1977, when the program ended, coverage had increased to 95 percent.[12]

In 1985, the foundation partnered with The Pew Charitable Trusts to launch a new program to improve access to health care for the American homeless population. The organizations committed $25 million over five years to 19 pilot programs as part of their Health Care for the Homeless initiative. Approaches to the issue varied by city. For example, a Philadelphia program connected hospitals with homeless shelters, so individuals experiencing homelessness had access to inpatient and outpatient care. Another program in New York City focused on providing care in soup kitchens.[14] Congress copied the foundation's program for providing health care through shelters when passing the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act.[4]

Other early efforts of the foundation included: support for the Nurse-Family Partnership, which partners at-risk pregnant women with nurses;[15] establishing the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program, renamed the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program in 2004;[16] and supporting development of the "swing bed" concept in rural hospitals, which allows patients to transition from acute care to skilled-nursing without having to transfer to a nursing home.[17]

1986–2001

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In 1986, the foundation turned its attention toward funding programs to provide treatment for HIV/AIDS, while the disease's association with homosexuality still held back many organizations from getting involved.[4] It launched the AIDS Health Services Program in 11 communities around the U.S., which aimed to integrate a network of human services agencies for case management and favored community-care models for patients.[18] By May 1989, the foundation had given $50 million to care services and prevention campaigns.[4] The Ryan White CARE Act was partially modeled on RWJF's program.[19]

After Dr. Steven A. Schroeder became the foundation's president in 1990, he made substance abuse a major focus of the foundation’s work.[20] Between 1991 and 2003, the foundation spent approximately $408 million on a variety of tobacco-related programs, including awareness campaigns on the negative effects of tobacco use and smoking cessation campaigns. To that end, the foundation launched Smokeless States in 1993, a program designed to help local groups be educated about tobacco effects and the options to regulate tobacco usage. By 2007, 31 states and the District of Columbia had entered the Smokeless States program. The foundation's Center for Tobacco-Free Kids was asked to participate as a "disinterested and trustworthy party" in state litigation leading up to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998.[20]

Apart from substance abuse, the foundation also funded studies on palliative and chronic care. In 1989, the organization funded a five-year, $28 million study on end-of-life care, publishing the results in 1995. The Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatment found that most Americans die alone in hospitals while receiving high-cost care and treatment, often against the patient's desires. The study led to the formation of several groups by the foundation, including Last Acts, a group of 900 entities that have drafted best practices for palliative care. Between 1989 and 2007, the foundation gave more than $148 million for research related to palliative care. By 2007, more than 500 hospitals throughout the U.S. had palliative care programs, most of which were created after the foundation and George Soros's Open Society Institute began research and advocacy efforts.[21]

During this period, the foundation also contributed to efforts to enroll more uninsured U.S. children in medicare. A study published in Health Affairs noted that RWJF spent $55 million on its Covering Kids campaign, which lasted from 1997 until 2002. The study found that the overall rate of uninsured children in the U.S. decreased during the campaign.[22]

2002–2017

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In the early 2000s, under the leadership of Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, the foundation prioritized childhood obesity, including a pledge of $1 billion for research and advocacy to raise awareness on the topic.[23] Grants from this pledge, the first $500 million of which came in 2007, have been used to fund projects in cities throughout the United States. As early as 2003, the foundation was working in Louisville, Kentucky, providing more than $740,000 in grants between 2003 and 2011 to make infrastructure updates that encourage physical activity, such as widening sidewalks and adding the city's first bicycle lane.[24]

The foundation also continued to work on eldercare topics and provided funding for the Green House Project, a study to remake nursing homes into something that was less institutional and allowed residents more autonomy. While nursing homes tended to be regimented, the Green House model allows residents to set their own schedules, and houses fewer people in more units designed like a single family home.[25] In 2011, the foundation established a $100 million impact capital fund to develop the Green House model.[6] By 2014, 27 states had adopted versions of the Green House Project.[26] A 2017 study on Green House nursing homes funded by the foundation found that while imperfect, the model had better outcomes for residents, including fewer hospitalizations and a lower occurrence of conditions like pressure ulcers.[27]

The foundation established the Commission to Build a Healthier America in 2008. The non-partisan group included individuals from business, academia, and politics and focused on studying ways to improve health in the U.S. outside of the health care system.[28] The commission compiled five-years worth of research into a report it released in 2014. The report focused on social determinants of health and detailed three strategies to improve health in the U.S.: early-childhood education; community-based health initiatives; and focusing on preventative care instead of treatment.[29]

In 2010 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation partnered with the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute to launch the County Health Ranking program, which calculates and compares the health of each county, nationwide. The counties are measured and ranked on various health and social factors, which include more than 30 indicators such as obesity, tobacco use, mental health, employment and poverty rates, and access to healthy food.[30] Over time, the foundation added coaches and competitions to the program in order to support communities' efforts to improve local health. This was in response to growing evidence showing social factors and individuals actions could affect a population's health more than quality of medical treatment.[31] The foundation also partnered with Federal Reserve Banks to engage impact investors, banks, and community developers in health and wellness based projects through the Healthy Communities Initiative.[32]

The foundation announced a major shift in 2014 to how it would approach health issues. While it had focused on specific health issues, its focus would instead be on changes that could lead to large scale social shifts by building what it called a "culture of health".[33] The change built on the Culture of Health Action Framework adopted by the foundation in 2013.[34] Critics of the shift expressed concern that funding for some areas, such as leadership training for doctors, and programs for nursing and health policy, was being discontinued as part of the shift. When describing the changes at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Lavizzo-Mourey said, "We have to make a seismic shift in the way we deal with health, and it has to come from the ground up".[33]

2018–present

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Under Richard Besser's leadership, the foundation prioritized health equity and removing barriers to health resulting from discrimination. In an address given at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, Besser pointed to where people live, recreate, and work as well as access to healthy food and livable wages, and removal of cultural barriers as important factors in individual health.[35] The foundation funded a 2021 analysis by the Urban Institute which found black patients experience "dangerous bleeding, infections and other serious problems related to surgical procedures" more frequently than white patients who receive care in the same hospital.[5]

In 2019, the foundation worked with the Global Reporting Initiative and others to develop the Culture of Health for Business Framework. The framework provides 16 best practices for companies to measure health policies and practices against, ranging from environmental to social and governance issues.[36] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation partnered with organizations such as NPR to research financial, education, and health impacts of the pandemic.[37][38] The foundation also has ongoing surveys with the Rand Corporation, one of which found that many Americans agree that minority communities have been more affected by the pandemic, but do not believe structural racism is a barrier to health.[39]

During this period, RWJF partnered with the Ford Foundation to establish the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy. The group includes 17 grant making organizations. The council's focus is on improving inclusion of disability issues in philanthropy.[40] The Foundation also funded the Childhood Opportunity Index, which ranks neighborhoods across the U.S. on access to childhood development resources that can affect health and life expectancy, and income later in life. The index was initially published in 2014, and an updated version was released in January 2020.[41]

Leadership

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The foundation's first president was David E. Rogers, who served from 1972 until 1987.[13] Leighton E. Cluff served as the foundation's president from 1986 until February 1990, when he was succeeded by Steven A. Schroeder|Dr. Steven A. Schroeder. The foundation's board of trustees selected Schroeder to lead the foundation, knowing he wanted to take it "in the direction of working on substance abuse problems".[20][42]

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey was the first woman and African American to be the foundation's chief executive officer, a role she held between 2002 and 2017.[43][44] She was succeeded by Richard E. Besser, who was named president and CEO in April 2017. Besser previously worked as the medical editor for ABC News and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control.[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Financial Statements" (PDF). The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. May 28, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Top 100 US Foundations by Asset Size". Foundation Center. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  3. ^ a b Syp, Mark (2012-11-17). "Robert Wood Johnson marks its anniversary with an eye toward the future of public health". Times of Trenton. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  4. ^ a b c d e Cooper, Kenneth (May 7, 1989). "Little-Known Foundation Leads Way in AIDS Fight, Stays on Cutting Edge of Health-Care Issues". The Miami Herald. p. A26.
  5. ^ a b Alpert Reyes, Emily (July 20, 2021). "Same hospitals but worse outcomes for Black patients than white ones". LA Times. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Establishes $100 Million Impact Capital Fund". Philanthropy News Digest. September 12, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  7. ^ "The largest foundations". Pensions & Investments. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  8. ^ "Foundation Stats: Guide to the Foundation Center's Research Database - Foundation Center". data.foundationcenter.org. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  9. ^ "Tract for Park Given to County in Jersey". The New York Times. January 1, 1937. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Bermel, Colby (June 18, 2013). "10 biggest US foundations and what they do". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  11. ^ Strom, Stephanie (April 4, 2007). "$500 Million Pledged to Fight Childhood Obesity". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Kohler, Scott (January 2007). "The Emergency Medical Services Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1973" (PDF). Duke University. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Altman, Lawrence (December 6, 1994). "Dr. David E. Rogers, 68, Leading Medical Educator, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  14. ^ Kohler, Scott (January 2007). "Health Care for the Homeless Program" (PDF). Duke University. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Kohler, Scott (January 2007). "The Nurse-Family Partnership" (PDF). Duke University. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  16. ^ Guevara, James P.; Wright, Melissa; Fishman, Nancy W.; Krol, David M.; Johnson, Jerry (June 2018). "The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program: Evaluation of a National Program to Promote Faculty Diversity and Health Equity". Health Equity. 2 (1): 7–14. doi:10.1089/heq.2016.0022. ISSN 2473-1242. PMC 6071893. PMID 30283846.
  17. ^ Robeznieks, Andis (June 23, 2008). "The swing shift". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  18. ^ Mor, Vincent; Stein, Michael; Carpenter, Charles; Mayer, Kenneth. "A Tale of Two Health Care Delivery Systems". Journal of Health and Human Services Administration. 19 (3): 240–256. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program". Human Resources & Services Administration. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Kohler, Scott (January 2007). "The Tobacco Use Programs" (pdf). Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society. Duke University. Retrieved September 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Kohler, Scott (January 2007). "Care at the End of Life" (pdf). Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society. Duke University. Retrieved September 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Blewett, Lynn A.; Davern, Michael; Rodin, Holly. "Covering Kids: Variation In Health Insurance Coverage Trends By State, 1996–2002". Health Affairs. 23 (6): 170–180. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Stiffman, Eden (October 4, 2016). "Charities Hope First Lady's Work on Obesity Is Just the Beginning". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Strom, Stephanie (June 13, 2011). "A City Tries to Slim Down". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  25. ^ Tarkan, Laurie (October 31, 2011). "A Nursing Home Shrinks Until It Feels Like a Home". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  26. ^ Brody, Jane E. (December 15, 2014). "The Green House Effect: Homes for the Elderly to Thrive". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  27. ^ Span, Paula (December 22, 2017). "A Better Kind of Nursing Home". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  28. ^ Zigmond, Jessica (February 28, 2008). "McClellan, Rivlin to head up RWJF commission". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  29. ^ Cowley, Geoffrey (January 13, 2014). "The secret to health isn't health care". NBC News. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  30. ^ Baker, Suzanne (April 2, 2021). "DuPage County is healthiest county in Illinois, according to annual rankings". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  31. ^ Sapatkin, Don (March 25, 2015). "Robert Wood Johnson Foundation releases health rankings of counties". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Sternberg, Steve (May 2, 2018). "A Healthy Return". US News. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  33. ^ a b Zamzow, Rachel (June 26, 2014). "Robert Wood Johnson Foundation makes major changes in health funding". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  34. ^ Tan, May Lynn; Vlahov, David; Hagen, Erin; Glymour, M. Maria; Gottlieb, Laura M.; Matthay, Ellicot C.; Adler, Nancy E. (December 1, 2019). "Building the evidence on Making Health a Shared Value: Insights and considerations for research". SSM - Population Health. 9. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100474. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  35. ^ Bendaas, Yasmn (February 15, 2019). "RWJF President Richard Besser speaks on building a culture of equity". North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  36. ^ Brown, Amy (May 13, 2020). "New Reporting Framework Highlights Employee Health and Well-Being". Triple Pundit. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  37. ^ Calfas, Jennifer (October 14, 2021). "Close to 40% of U.S. Households Say They Face Financial Difficulties as Covid-19 Pandemic Continues". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  38. ^ Lukpat, Alyssa (October 15, 2021). "Hate Crimes and Pandemic Lead More Asian Americans to Seek Therapy". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  39. ^ Hassanein, Nate (January 13, 2021). "New survey finds many people don't believe systemic racism is a barrier to health". USA Today. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  40. ^ Lindsay, Drew (October 15, 2021). "Once Left Out of the Ford Foundation's Strategy, Disability Rights Gets Its Own Program". Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  41. ^ LaMotte, Sandee (January 22, 2020). "How healthy is your neighborhood for your child? Take a look". CNN. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  42. ^ "Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Names New President". Modern Healthcare. Crain Publishing. February 12, 1990. p. 14.
  43. ^ Gooch, Kelly (February 12, 2020). "25 medical pioneers to celebrate this Black History Month". Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  44. ^ "So Long, Stay Well: What Did Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Achieve at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  45. ^ "Former CDC director Richard Besser, MD, named Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO". Healthcare IT News. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
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