New Jersey stakeholders were stunned to see $450 million allotted in the governor's final budget for the state's three level 1 trauma centers to strengthen emergency preparedness, according to Politico.
Those three trauma centers are: University Hospital in Newark, RWJBarnabas Health's Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and Cooper University Health in Camden.
Gov. Phil Murphy's fiscal year 2022 budget reflects some of the first allocations of the federal American Rescue Plan's State Fiscal Recovery Fund, or SFRF, dollars to bolster New Jersey's public health infrastructure and ensure readiness for the next emergency.
Politico reported on July 2 that the allocation left healthcare lobbyists, healthcare executives and lawmakers "stunned," with University Hospital President and CEO Shereef Elnahal noting he was "floored" when he saw his facility could receive up to $150 million in SFRF funds.