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The Newark Experience

COVID-19 Pandemic

Comfort With Telehealth Among Residents of an Underserved Urban Area
Ann D. Bagchi et. al. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 13, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221119692
"The goal of this study was to examine engagement with technology among low-income people of color living in Newark, New Jersey. METHODS: Using surveys and focus groups, we examined study participants' daily use of technology (eg, Internet) and comfort with telehealth services (eg, use of teleconferencing for medication refills) before and after COVID-related social distancing mandates went into effect."
Coronavirus Disease 19 in Minority Populations of Newark, New Jersey
Alexis K. Okoh et. al. International Journal for Equity in Health 19(1), June 10, 2020, pp. 1-8.
"This is a retrospective cohort study of AA and Latino Hispanic patients with COVID-19 admitted to a 665-bed quaternary care, teaching hospital located in Newark, New Jersey."
Evaluating Spatial Accessibility to COVID-19 Vaccine Resources in Diversely Populated Counties in the United States
Feng Qi, Daniela Barragan, Maverick Garcia Rodriguez and Jiongcheng Lu. Frontiers in Public Health 10, 2022, pp. 895538
"This study examines the accessibility to COVID-19 vaccination resources in two counties surrounding Newark, NJ in the New York Metropolitan Area, United States. "
Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Oral Health Care in New Jersey
Shyam A. Shah, Zhi Chao Feng, and Vincent B. Ziccardi. The Journal of the American Dental Association 155(3), March 2024, pp. 204-212.
Records of patients visiting the emergency clinic at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in Newark during 3 distinct periods (prelockdown, lockdown, teledentistry) from January 10, 2020, through June 30, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. Patient visits increased during the early lockdown but were reduced after the implementation of teledentistry. Rutgers-restricted Access
Language Proficiency and Delay of Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Low-Income Women in Newark
Victor Cueto, Vivian González Cueto, Luis Alzate-Duque et al. Journal of General Internal Medicine 39(1), 2024, pp.159-162.
"In this population of low-income minority women, delayed medical care was significantly related to language proficiency. Although all groups were likely to delay care due to their fear of becoming infected with COVID-19, Spanish speakers with LEP were much more likely than English-proficient respondents to delay care overall." Rutgers-restricted Access
Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women with Trauma Histories: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
Karen P. Jakubowski et. al. Journal of Traumatic Stress 36(1), 2023, 167-179.
"We tested associations between prepandemic childhood abuse or intimate partner violence (IPV) and elevated depressive, anxiety, conflict, and sleep symptoms during the pandemic among aging women. Women (N = 582, age: 65-77 years) from three U.S. sites (Pittsburgh, Boston, Newark) of the longitudinal Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) reported pandemic-related psychosocial impacts from June 2020-March 2021."
Vulnerable Immigrant Populations in the New York Metropolitan Area and COVID-19: Lessons Learned in the Epicenter of the Crisis
Sara Behbahani et al. Academic Medicine 95(12), December 2020, pp. 1827-1830.
"The authors share their experience from Newark, New Jersey, where partnerships of public and private community-based organizations (CBOs) have been successful in establishing trust between the health care system and a fearful Latino community."

Epidemics

Cholera

"Cholera in Newark, New Jersey,"
Stuart Galishoff. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 25(4), October 1970, 438-448
Medical and social responses to the cholera outbreaks in Newark in 1832, 1849, and 1854. Rutgers-restricted Access
"Notices of the Cholera at Newark in 1832,"
J.S.Darcy. Transactions of the Medical Society of the State of New York 1850, 181-184. Available?
"History of the 'Cholera' Epidemic as it Appeared in the City of Newark, N.J., From June to Oct., 1849,"
J. Henry Clark. New York Journal of Medicine 4, 1850, 211-223

Polio Epidemic of 1916

Poliomyelitis: Newark 1916: The Grip of Terror
Sandra W. Moss. [n.p.] Xlibris, 2016. Available?
Screen the Baby, Swat the Fly : Polio in the Northeastern United States, 1916. Rutgers-restricted access
Naomi Rogers. Thesis (Ph. D.). University of Pennsylvania, 1986.
Case study of the 1916 polio epidemic in New York, Philadelphia and Newark. Focus on social issues. Available?
"Newark and the Great Polio Epidemic of 1916,"
Stuart Galishoff. New Jersey History 94(2-3), Summer/Autumn 1976, 101-111.
While New York and New Jersey were the hardest hit by the 1916 polio epidemic, the incidence rate in Newark was nearly twice that for New York City with 1422 cases and 376 deaths reported. Newark was also the first city to adopt a comprehensive plan to aid paralyzed polio victims. Available?
"Poliomyelitis, Some Features in City Prevalence,"
Charles V. Craster. Journal of the American Medical Association 68(21), May 26, 1917, 1535-1539.
Craster was the Newark health officer who declared on July 14, 1916 that Newark had a polio epidemic. Available?
"Poliomyelitis (Infantile Paralysis); The Recent Epidemic in Newark, N.J.,"
C.H. Lavinder Public Health Reports December 8, 1916, 3351-3355.
Primarily tables and graphs, including reported cases and deaths by ward.
I Am the Baby Killer!
Illustration from the Newark Evening News.

Influenza

"Newark and the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918,"
Stuart Galishoff. Bulletin of the History of Medicine 43, 1969, 246-58.
Between September and November 1918, Newark recorded 29,320 cases of influenza and pneumonia with a resulting 2183 deaths. The city's response to the crisis. Rutgers-restricted Access
Playing Politics with Disease: Newark's Imperious Mayor During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Jennifer E. Harmsen. Thesis (M.A.), Rutgers University Newark/New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2015.
" While the Department of Health of the State of New Jersey acted swiftly to the pandemic by issuing mandatory closings of all public gathering places, the municipality of Newark, under the leadership of Mayor Charles P. Gillen, chose not to adhere entirely to the quarantines. Of the 29,000 Newarkers who were stricken with the flu, 2,800 people died within three months...Over ten percent of the deaths from influenza in the state of New Jersey occurred in Newark. While no one could have predicted where the greatest numbers of deaths would take place, Gillen’s political handling of the influenza crisis in Newark is reminiscent of how much one person could impact the health care of a city and calls into question whether some of the causalities from influenza in Newark could have been prevented."
"Newark and Influenza, 1918"
Health Bulletin. February 1919.
"Care of Influenza Patients Cost the City About $30,000,"
Newark Evening News December 20, 1918, p.6
Mayor Gillen on his handling of the influenza epidemic
Newark Board of Commissioners Minutes, October 1918.

Diseases

AIDS
Cancer
Tuberculosis
Typhoid

AIDS

New Jersey AIDS Collection, 1986-
Finding aid. "The New Jersey AIDS Collection was developed in 1986 by the UMDNJ University Libraries Special Collections staff to document the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the state of New Jersey. The collection is purposely gathered through the collection of newsletters, pamphlets, brochures, articles, statistics, memorabilia, and other ephemeral materials produced by New Jersey organizations and UMDNJ units." This collection is located in Special Collections, George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, Rutgers Health Sciences Newark Campus.
Comprehensive Health Plan: 2012-2014
Newark Eligible Metropolitan Area Health Services Planning Council.
The Newark EMA includes Essex, Union, Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties. The Newark EMA provides direct care and services for about 9000 persons living with HIV or AIDS.
The Role of Social Support Networks in a Sample of Older Adults Living with HIV: the GOLD Studies
Susannah C. Gervolino, Kristen D. Krause, and Perry N. Halkitis. AIDS Care February 2024, pp. 1-8.
" In this analysis, we consider the social realities and social networks of older adults living with HIV and assess how relationships and communities have been affected by stigma and other challenges of aging with HIV. A total of 40 participants, ages 51–69 years, living with HIV in the Newark metropolitan area were interviewed." Rutgers-restricted Access
HIV Prevalence and Associated Factors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in New Jersey, U.S., 2017
Peng Wang, et. al. AIDS and Behavior 26, 1652-1959 (2022)
"This study assessed the HIV prevalence among MSM in the greater Newark New Jersey area including Essex, Hudson, Morris and Union Counties and examined correlates of HIV infection among those men."
Above and Under the Surface: Needle Exchange Debates and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Newark, New Jersey
Luciano Baez. (M.A. Thesis). Rutgers University, Newark. 2022.
"Newark’s experience in dealing with the AIDS epidemic was deeply rooted in structural racism and neglect, and debates over needle exchange bridge the gap between antidrug discourses stemming from the war on drugs, and the stigmatization of people with AIDS. By utilizing two sets of hearings that occurred in Newark in 1989 and 1995, they are both able to speak on to how Newark experienced and fought against the AIDS epidemic."
The AIDS Epidemic in Newark and Detroit.
Hearings Before the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives. Ond Hundred and First Congress, First Session. March 27 and April 24, 1989. Washington, DC, Government Printing Office, 1990.
"Responding to the AIDS Crisis in Newark, New Jersey"
Ric Curtis et al. IN When Communities Assess Their AIDS Epidemics: Results of Rapid Assessment of HIV/AIDS in Eleven U.S. Cities. Benjamin P. Bowser, Ernest Quimby, and Merrill Singers, eds. Lanham, Lexington Books, 2007. Available?
"Geographical AIDS Rates and Socio-Demographic Variable in the Newark, New Jersey Metropolitan Area,"
Dale J. Hu et.al. AIDS & Public Policy Journal 9(1), Spring 1994, 20-24.
Study examining the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Newark. Based on December 1991 zip code data, median household income was the variable most strongly associated with higher cumulative AIDS incidence. Available?
A Tangled Pathology: How AIDS Became a "Family Disease" in Newark, New Jersey, 1970-1997
Jason M. Chernesky. Thesis (M.A.) Rutgers University, 2013.
"In reframing a problem that was predominately cast as a "gay disease" in North America, AIDS activists in Newark sought to highlight the growing prevalence of HIV and AIDS among urban communities of color. These efforts sought to direct national attention and resources towards affected "at risk" Newarkers by self-consciously portraying HIV and AIDS as a disease of the family."
New Hope: African-American Women and HIV/AIDS
Angela Thomas. Thesis (M.A.), Rutgers University, 2006. Available?
AIDS is Just a Four Letter Word : An Ethnographic Study of Theodicy and the Social Construction of HIV/AIDS in Newark, New Jersey Rutgers-restricted access
E. Lee (Eugenia Lee) Hancock. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drew University, 2002.
In Newark HIV/AIDS is a disease of poverty. Uses oral histories to investigate the social processes that shape the lives of the Newark HIV/AIDS community. Available?
Surviving HIV/AIDS in the Inner City: How Resourceful Latinas Beat the Odds.
Sabrina Marie Chase. New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University Press, 2011. Available?
Mujeres Ingeniosas (Resourceful Women): HIV and Puerto Rican Women and the Urban Health Care System.
Sabrina Marie Chase . Ph.D. Thesis, Rutgers University, 2005.
"This ethnographic study explores the help-seeking strategies of poor HIV+ Puerto Rican women living in the greater Newark area." Available?
Educating Students about AIDS Through Art: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation in Newark Public High Schools
Ashley Grosso. Ph.D. Thesis. Rutgers-Newark, 2011.
"This dissertation evaluates the effects and implementation of an education program aimed at increasing knowledge and changing attitudes about HIV and AIDS among high school students."
Annual and Durable HIV Retention in Care and Viral Suppression Among Patients of Peter Ho Clinic, 2013-2017
Debbie Y. Mohammed, Lisa Marie Koumoulos, Eugene Martin, and Jihad Slim. PLos ONE 15(12), December 29, 2020, pp. 1-18.
"This is a retrospective review of medical record data in an urban clinic, located in Newark, New Jersey."
"Modeling the Impact of Interventions Along the HIV Continuum of Care in Newark, New Jersey"
Ruthie B. Birger et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases 58(2), 2014, pp. 274-284.
"The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in Newark, New Jersey, is among the most severe in the United States. Prevalence ranges up to 3.3% in some groups. The aim of this study is to use a mathematical model of the epidemic in Newark to assess the impact of interventions along the continuum of care, leading to virologic suppression. " Rutgers-restricted Access
Interprofessional Collaboration Associated With Frequency of Life-saving Links to HIV Continuum of Care Services in the Urban Environment of Newark, New Jersey
Liliane Cambraia Windsor, Rogerio Meireles Pinto, and Carol Ann Lee. BMC Health Services Research 20, 1014 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05866-3
"HIV continuum of care has been used as a strategy to reduce HIV transmission rates, with timely engagement in HIV testing being the first and most critical step. This study examines interprofessional-collaboration (IPC) after controlling for agency/ provider demographics, provider training and self-efficacy as a significant predictor of how frequently HIV service providers link their clients to HIV testing."
"Immune Deficiency Syndrome in Children,"
James Oleske et.al. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 249(17), May 6, 1983, 2345-2349.
The first study of AIDS in children looked at eight children from the Newark metropolitan area born into families with recognized risks for AIDS. Available?

Cancer

"Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Newark, N.J. 1970-1974: A National Comparison," Rutgers-restricted access
I.S.Thind et al. Cancer 47(5), March 1, 1981, 1047-1053.
"Cancer Among Blacks in Newark, New Jersey, 1970-1976: A National and International Comparison," Rutgers-restricted access
I.S.Thind et al. Cancer 50(1), July 1, 1982, 180-186.
"Cervical Cancer and Health Care Resources in Newark, New Jersey, 1970 to 1988," Rutgers-restricted access
Bart K. Holland, James D. Foster, and Donald B. Louria. American Journal of Public Health 83(1), January 1993, 45-48.
Examined cervical carcinoma patterns in Newark over a 19-year period, found that "the ratio of in situ to invasive cervical cancer increased and decreased in a striking parallel with the provision and subsequent cessation of funding."
Colon Cancer Epidemiology, Race and Socioeconomic Status: Comparing Trends in Counties Served by an Urban Hospital in Newark, NJ with Overall NJ-State and Nation-Wide Patterns
Tharakeswari Selvakumar, Scott Ziming Mu, Vishnu Prasath, Simran Arjani, Ravi J Chokshi, and Joshua Kra. Cancer Epidemiology 86, October 2023, Article 102412
"To better understand the colon cancer trends at our medical center, this study characterizes the racial and socioeconomic profile of the population served by our center to identify modifiable risk factors amenable to interventions." Rutgers-restricted Access

Tuberculosis

A Story : In Word and Picture of the First Year’s Work of the Newark Anti-Tuberculosis Association (Committee of One Hundred)
Newark, NJ: The Association, 1910
The Toll of Tuberculosis Among Negroes in New Jersey
Beatrice A. Myers and Ira De A. Reid. Opportunity: The Journal of Negro Life 10, September 1932, pp. 279-82.
Includes detailed information on tuberculosis among African Americans in Newark 1928-1930.
"Changes in Tuberculosis Incidence in Newark, New Jersey,"
G.R. Najem et al. Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey 75(7), July 1978, 543-547.
In 1969 Newark had the highest incidence of active tubercolosis among major U.S. cities. Between 1970 and 1974, the rate of active tuberculosis decreased 29 percent. Available?
Tuberculosis, A Resurgence in Newark.
Hearing Before the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee of the Committee on Goverment Operations, Housing of Representatives. One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session. October 20, 1992.

Typhoid

Report on Typhoid Fever--Newark, N.J.--1898-99
H.C.H. Herold. Public Health Papers Report 25, 1899, pp. 172-176.1
Relationship between the consumption of Passaic River water and typhoid fever.
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