The Trenton Times published the following article on November 13, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Opinion: Health of Trenton residents is closely linked to access to quality education
By Times of Trenton guest opinion column
on November 13, 2013 at 6:56 AM, updated November 13, 2013 at 7:04 AMBy Ruth Perry
As a physician and executive director of the Trenton Health Team, an organization committed to transforming healthcare in our city, I recognize the close link between quality education and good health. We recently completed a Community Health Needs Assessment for the city of Trenton and are acutely aware of the truth of the statement by Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that “Our ZIP Code may be more important to our health than our genetic code.” Or, in the words of economist and Nobel laureate James Heckman, “Children raised in disadvantaged environments are not only much less likely to succeed in school or in society, but they are also much less likely to be healthy adults.”
Frustration with the situation in Trenton’s public schools, especially the physical condition of the Trenton Central High School building, has drawn intense outrage and media attention in recent months. And well it should. The fact that we send our children into buildings that are falling apart and decaying around them is truly horrifying.