EDISON — Representatives from a local organization sought approval to open a health care center at a recent Township Council meeting, but council members agreed that too many concerns existed to put the issue to a vote at the time.
At the Oct. 14 council meeting, Jewish Renaissance Foundation (JRF) President Alan Goldsmith said his organization received a federal grant to convert its existing space in the Dr. William Toth Memorial Health Center on Idlewild Road into a health care center.
“The center that we’re looking to do is for the veterans and the homeless,” he said, explaining that he was referring to a broader population than one might think.
Goldsmith said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition includes those who cannot afford to live on their own and are living with their extended family members.
Alexandra Mansonet-Cross, JRF executive officer, said optimally, three health care providers would be on site — a doctor and a nurse practitioner, and in the future, a dentist. There would also be a mobile health unit. Goldsmith said he anticipated that the health center would see seven to eight patients an hour during standard business hours, or around 60 a day in six examining rooms.
She said the JRF was awarded the grant on Aug. 11, so the center has to be up and running by Dec. 9 to receive the funds. The township Health Department currently has a presence at the Toth Center, she said, and with the approval of a health clinic, JRF could provide some Health Department services, such as immunizations, to residents at no charge.
Although many residents spoke in support of the idea behind the project, they, and officials, had concerns.
Township attorney William Northgrave said his estimates based on JRF’s services in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy would put the estimated patients per day at more than double Goldsmith’s figure.
Mansonet-Cross explained that those centers are much bigger and have many more physicians, so comparing a potential Edison facility to the New Brunswick and Perth Amboy locations would not generate an accurate figure.
Northgrave said the project would also involve a lease from the township, but no such agreement had been drafted, so officials said they did not know what would be expected of the township as part of the project.
“There are several questions,” Council President Robert Diehl pointed out.
Residents took issue with the item being added late to the agenda, with no information available on the township website ahead of the meeting. They also expressed concerns about losing township Health Department services at the site.
“We have a nice little Health Department there for the people. It’s always been very good,” resident Lois Wolke said. “Now we’re going to have an outside organization. I’m not talking about what their services are. I think it’s a wonderful service. I’m talking about what’s best for the people of Edison.”
Wolke also took issue with the time crunch the council was facing, with JRF’s implementation deadline of Dec. 9.
“We should not be put on a deadline,” she said. “We should have time to investigate it, get all the answers …”
Resident Esther Nemitz said she also supports JRF’s work, but doesn’t think the location is right. In addition, she said there are too many open issues, including exactly which medical services would be available. She said she also felt the parking available at the Toth Center was inadequate for the project.
She said the Kilmer area would be far better suited for the project.
“We need time to look around here to find the right fit,” she said.
She also said residents who have used the Health Department’s services for decades, and they should be informed before any changes to services take place.
Robert Riedinger of Devine’s Pharmacy on Oak Tree Road spoke in support of the project, and said he hoped open issues could be resolved.
“The goal is to provide quality care to the residents of Edison,” he said.
Following the public comment on the project, Diehl said he understood the concerns from all sides, and added that the council needed more time to consider the issue. Councilman Robert Karabinchak recommended the council members each visit the site for themselves to get a better idea of what the JRF wants to do.
The council voted to table the issue until the next meeting.