Our Actions

HEALTH IS MORE THAN HEALTHCARE

Patricia Era Bath

November 4, 1942 - May 30, 2019

Dr. Bath was the 1st African American female doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose. When Dr. Bath hit a "glass ceiling" in the United States, she moved her patent research work to Germany. In 2022, Dr. Bath became one of the first black women to be inducted (posthumously) into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.  Dr. Bath holds 5 patents. 

"My love of humanity and passion for helping others inspired me to become a physician."

"My work was motivated by a desire to achieve excellence and the need to address the high rates of blindness among African Americans and other underserved populations."

Learn more

EDUCATION

  • With support from mission-aligned grant funding, our Education pillar expanded its reach and deepened its impact in communities across New Jersey. These resources empowered the organization to lead culturally grounded health education, reproductive justice initiatives, and wellness programming tailored to the needs of vulnerable communities. Each grant reflects growing recognition of the organization’s trusted voice, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to advancing health equity for all.

  • Department of Health for the State of New Jersey COVID-19 Grant

  • In Our Own Voice Reproductive Justice & Education Grant

  • Black Bodies Black Health Grant

  • Children’s Home Society of New Jersey Health Workshops Grants

ADVOCACY

  • NJBWPA is engaged in shaping local, state, and national conversations around health equity. With a strong presence on prominent stages across policy, academic, and community spaces, they advocate for inclusive, justice-driven approaches to public health. Our voice brings critical insight, lived experience, and visionary strategy to the forefront—ensuring that equity is not just an ideal, but a guiding force in how health systems serve all communities.

  • United Nations 68th Session of the State of Women Panel Speakership

  • Congressional Black Caucus Panel Speakership

  • Rutgers University Douglass Residential College Panel Speakership

  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Westfield, NJ Keynote Speaker on Health Justice

  • My Black Health is Beautiful Curriculum

    Collaborative work with Melanated Moms, Planned Parenthood of NJ, Salvation and Social Justice and Southern NJ Perinatal Cooperative LEARN MORE‍ ‍ORDER BOOK

THE PANDEMIC

Part of our advocacy work includes a commitment to public health, community care, and leadership. NJBWPA led a compassionate COVID-19 outreach initiative in vulnerable communities across New Jersey. In partnership with Planned Parenthood, we distributed accessible, culturally relevant informational booklets through obstetrics units in Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties. The “Big Vax Energy” campaign brought on-site education, testing, and vaccinations to 9 sites across 8 cities—meeting people where they are and helping to build trust, awareness, and access in the moments it mattered most.

  • 1,774

    Community Members Served

  • 1,500+

    Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donated

  • 20

    Community Partners including Planned Parenthood of NJ, New Brunswick NAACP, and Food Bank of South Jersey

  • 9

    NJ Counties Served

LEGACY

  • The heart of our legacy strategy is a deep commitment to cultivating the next generation of health equity leaders. Through intentional mentorship, experiential learning, and collaborative educational programs, the organization empowers students—particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds—to explore, question, and lead in the spaces where health and justice meet. From high-impact curriculum development to hands-on research and mentorship, NJBWPA is helping shape a future where diverse voices are not only present in medicine and public health— but are driving lasting, systemic change.

  • Douglass Faculty Fellows

    Black Health Inequities Experiential Learning with NJBWPA Founder & President Dr. Brug (a Past Faculty Member)

  • The Next Generation

    Several of our diverse NJ-educated college research interns accepted to and started medical school

  • Impath App

    Culturally Humble Physicians Directory (Now in Beta!)