Federally Qualified Health Center – 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Graduate Enjoys Helping Others at Newark Community Health Center

Michelle Lang — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:15:33 +0000

Tavaine Salmon decided she wanted to work in the medical field after having negative experiences in health care settings. She wanted to provide better care for patients than she had received so she began researching schools that offered medical training. She found and enrolled in its Patient Care Technician (PCT) program. She graduated from NCCTI in June and now spends her working hours greeting, registering and assisting patients at the Ferry Street location of as a Patient Service Representative (PSR).

The road to her health care career wasn’t easy but with the assistance of NCCTI staff, Salmon was able to complete the program and find employment. Shortly after beginning the PCT program, she became sick and had to take a three-month leave of absence to recover. While she was out, communication with NCCTI staff continued.

“Everybody kept checking on me and making sure that I was ready to come back and I was healed and ready to take it on,” she said. “I’m grateful for that part.”

When she returned to class, PCT Instructor Dr. Ehab Salib monitored her progress, provided practice tests and coached her on what to study so that she would be able to pass the exam. She passed the exam on her first attempt.

Salib praised Salmon for her hard work and dedication to the program.

“She was a very good student, coming in on time, never leaving early, studying hard, doing all her homework in due time, asking reasonable questions related to the subject and showing great interest,” he said.

After graduation, NCCTI Career Services Coordinator Chanda Webb informed Salmon about a job opportunity at Newark Community Health Centers. Salmon was familiar with the Federally Qualified Health Center because Human Resources Recruiter Kobie Brown was a speaker at her graduation. She believed it would be a good fit for her professionally.

“I love the fact that they’re geared towards helping people and making people feel better,” she said. “And they accommodate everybody.”

Salmon applied for the job and after a phone interview and in-person interview was offered the role. She registers patients, makes appointments and checks their insurance. If a patient is without health insurance, she can help set them up through and Medicaid. Since starting the job in September, Salmon has earned two certifications that allow her to complete health care applications for patients.

Sometimes patients come in frustrated or upset but Salmon always makes a point to be respectful and do what she can to assist everyone she encounters.

“It makes a difference the way you treat them, the way you talk to them. Because sometimes they’re so mad at you and then at the end of the appointment, they come to the front and they say, ‘Thank you so much,’” she said. “That’s something that stays with me.”

Salmon said she loves her job and is grateful she found NCCTI.

“The school is amazing,” she said. “I would recommend it every day.”

In addition to providing the necessary education, NCCTI has relationships with employers and brings representatives to the school to meet with students, answer questions and conduct mock interviews. Students also have the opportunity to visit employer locations, including area hospitals, to see the environment firsthand and meet staff members. The interview process is more comfortable for them when they are speaking with someone they have met before.

NCCTI Director Miguel Pacheco is pleased the school was able to set Salmon up for success.

“Our goal is to help all of our students succeed in their area of study and find employment. I’m happy to say we met both of those goals with Ms. Salmon.”

Salmon interviewed for roles in hospitals as well but ultimately decided to work in a medical office setting so she wouldn’t be away from her children for 12 hours at a time. She lives in Maplewood with her husband and three children, ages 11, 7 and 3.

She’s happy with her decision because she enjoys her job and there is room to grow.

“They tell me you can rise from wherever you are to wherever you need to be here so that’s a good thing,” she said.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that is currently enrolling for the following programs: Automotive Technician, Medical Assistant Clinical and Patient Care Technician. For more information, call 973-824-6484, email nccti@newcommunity.org, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

Rutgers Community Health Center Celebrates New Location and NCC Partnership

Michelle Lang — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 16:13:02 +0000

Rutgers Community Health Center (RCHC) held a ribbon cutting Dec. 16 to highlight its new location and partnership with 91��Ƭ. The facility, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), is located in NCC’s health care building at 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

“The partnership being forged between Rutgers Community Health Center and 91��Ƭ is a partnership with a purpose. One that is most needed in our community,” NCC Board Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba said.

91��Ƭ partnered with RCHC because its health care services are important for the population NCC serves.

“Having an FQHC within the NCC footprint helps us fulfill our mission of helping to improve the lives of inner-city residents by offering additional health care services,” said 91��Ƭ CEO Richard Rohrman. “We are happy to partner with Rutgers Community Health Center to provide primary care to our residents and clients in a location that is convenient for them.”

First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Snyder Murphy attended the ribbon cutting. She is working to address the infant and maternal mortality rates in New Jersey and the racial disparities regarding health care.

“Recognizing that there is inequity in access to health care is the first step in correcting the crisis. Rutgers Community Health Center has proven that they are committed to correcting this issue and to treating their patients with the dignity that every person deserves,” she said. “I am so happy to be able to count this health center as a trusted partner in our shared mission to improve the health and wellbeing of families here in New Jersey.”

RCHC is one of the first nurse practitioner led FQHCs in the nation. Interim Dean and Professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing Dr. Linda Flynn explained that FQHCs are community-based health centers that provide high quality, culturally competent and comprehensive care based on strict federal guidelines. Charges for services are based on a sliding scale based on patients’ ability to pay and no patient is denied service based on inability to pay.

“Study after study has demonstrated that nurse practitioners provide safe, high quality primary care and are a major asset to ensuring that people have access to care in New Jersey and across the nation,” she said. “One in 12 people and one in nine children receive their health care from an FQHC. It is high quality, it is affordable and it is accessible care.”

Dr. Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and executive vice president for health affairs of Rutgers University, recognized the important partnership between RCHC and NCC.

“These new accommodations expand our School of Nursing’s reach to make high quality, affordable health care available to the Newark community and is another example to our commitment to have equity,” he said.

Central Ward Councilwoman LaMonica McIver said she was happy for the partnerships that allowed RCHC to come to the Central Ward.

“The municipal council has been doing a lot of work to promote health care, promote healthy residents, to get our residents the resources they need to have preventive health care,” she said. “To have this center open, it’s another place for our residents to go and get the services that they need.”

RCHC Community Health Worker Supervisor Victoria Cason explained that before RCHC, people living in her community were surviving and not fully living because of issues like unemployment, poverty, low health literacy and inadequate access to fresh food.

“Our population is now served, heard and have improved their health care disparities. We are our community’s beacon of hope, providing access, quality and affordability of primary care and psychological and social services. Together we ease the minds, soothe the hearts and cherish the souls of every single person we encounter,” she said. “We’re making a difference in people’s lives.”

RCHC CEO Susan VonNessen Scanlin explained that in addition to providing health care services, RCHC links individuals to services available to them in partnership with NCC.

“We’re all here today because of the community and the patients that we serve,” she said. “The fact that all of you are here is truly a testimony to the commitment that both Rutgers, 91��Ƭ, our city, our hospitals, our community groups are making to not just provide health care but to provide all the services that equal health wellness equity.”

RCHC is located on the third floor of the NCC health care building, 274 South Orange Ave., Newark. It is open Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit rchc.rutgers.edu.