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The objective of my research was to explore what impacts the relocation of the Capital Health System (CHS) Hospital—Mercer Campus will likely have; and to offer preliminary recommendations on ways to mitigate those impacts. I approached this study apprehensively, because I considered myself a novice in terms of my understanding of the United States healthcare system. Courses that I have taken at TCNJ have provided me with an overview of the system; I feared that my lack of detailed knowledge might negatively affect my work perhaps leading to unforeseen obstacles as my research progressed this summer. Fortunately, access to existing literature, including summaries of State and Federal healthcare policy, and the prior knowledge of my faculty mentor, Dr. Martin Bierbaum, proved that these fears were unfounded.
As a result of working on this study, I was able to achieve a deeper and more profound understanding of the healthcare system as a whole, and perhaps even more importantly, what factors affect a hospital’s fiscal solvency. I also learned how interdisciplinary and multi-faceted hospital administration can be. I now more clearly understand the ways that social, economic, and political factors affect the fiscal stability and general direction of a hospital. There is much more to running a hospital than just doctors, nurses, and patients. In coming to grips with the pressures experienced by hospital, I was provided with a “window” on the inadequacies of contemporary United States healthcare policy.
Angel Hernandez
Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies Major
TCNJ Class of '08
