Rutgers, Horizon BCBSNJ Form Medical Research Partnership

Rutgers University and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ), have joined to create a medical research partnership, according to My Central Jersey.

Two years ago, Brian Strom, MD, MPH, Chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS), and Allen Karp, executive vice president for Health Care Management and Transformation for Horizon BCBSNJ, realized that forming a strategic partnership had potential. The two organizations have intermittently been involved in collaborative research for more than 10 years.

“RBHS and Horizon share a common commitment to improving the lives of New Jersey residents and the state’s healthcare system," Strom told My Central Jersey.  "Our organizations realized that by combining forces, we could advance medicine, improve care and create better health outcomes for millions of New Jerseyans.”

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So far, the partners are collaborating on more than 14 projects including research that may bring breakthroughs that make cancer screenings more conclusive; improve the effectiveness of flu vaccinations; adapt to the health consequences of climate change; or deploy virtual reality devices as a pain treatment alternative to opioids, according to a BCBSNJ press release.

“By bringing together Rutgers’ remarkable research capabilities and Horizon’s data and clinical expertise, we have created a unique team that is leveraging the strengths of each organization to produce evidence that will improve the quality of healthcare-not just here in New Jersey, but across the globe,” Karp said in the press release.