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Description

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Mission Statement
We respond to the longterm care and behavioral healthcare needs of the community with compassionatequality driven care

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History

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In 1799 the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Gloucester County quot procures sic a poorhouse in the County to enable all persons who are a public charge to be provided for by said County in the amount of 5600 quot The first building was constructed on the present site in 1816 for people with psychiatric disorders

New Jersey legislators split off some land in 1844 to help create what is now Camden County For the next 16 years Camden and Gloucester Counties shared responsibility for the building and grounds Camden County purchased the facility and additional land from Gloucester County in 1860 for slightly less than 20000 An alms house dedicated in 1872 remained occupied as a clinical site and later as a support services site for the next 124 years

An award for construction of a new mental health facility totaling 13000 was awarded in 1878 a year in which annual compensation for the superintendent amounted to 800 and the cost of weekly patient care was 150 Additional land was purchased 12 years later and services of a physician contracted for 450 annually

Emerging healthcare trends prompted the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders to establish services for tuberculosis patients in 1914 Construction for a 16 million TB building began in 1924 and a year later an additional 234 acres was purchased from Gloucester County and added to Camden County Further expansion into acute care services followed in 1933 with the construction of a 200bed general hospital which currently houses offices and programs of the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services The mid50s witnessed the conversion of the tuberculosis hospital into longterm care services

Much of the Centers historical profile between the 1960s and late 1980s is flawed with operational inefficiencies political uncertainties and negative perceptions by the community The Freeholders in 1975 allocated 45 million to implement courtordered improvements The Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders created a blueribbon panel in 1988 to assess whether the Center would remain open and if so what corrective actions were needed to adequately address the Countys healthcare needs

One of the first recommendations of the Committee was to create an independent Board of Managers to oversee daytoday operations with the Freeholders retaining overall direction The Board of Managers in turn upgraded its administrative team to bring in a new level of professionalism One of the top priorities called for construction of a new facility that would both meet stringent lifesafety codes and provide an unmatched environment for patients and residents

Ground was broken in 1993 for a single facility that would consolidate all clinical and support services previously spread among nine buildings into one 226000 squarefoot building Dedication ceremonies attended by over 325 civic and business leaders took place on April 19 1996 and a separate community open house saw 1100 area residents attending

Recognizing its fiscal responsibility to County taxpayers the Centers Board of Managers and administrative team obtained funding for the project through the issuance of 45 million in publiclyissued bonds Repayment of these bonds is achieved by and large through normal thirdparty reimbursement systems and the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Hospitals

The original vision of local officials was to ensure people benefited from the very best care from skilled professionals in modern surroundings What has emerged over 200 years is an ongoing reaffirmation to that initial commitment While much has changed since those formative years the guiding principles and ideals that helped forge the Countys pledge to healthcare excellence remain constant

Today Camden County Health Services Center stands as one of the recognized leaders in longterm and behavioral healthcare services and is among the 10 largest healthcare providers in southern New Jersey