Assemblyman Herb Conaway Hosts NJ Fellows in Trenton
On February 19, Princeton Project 55 fellows and friends were invited to the New Jersey State House in Trenton for a public health policy seminar hosted by Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., MD ’85 and coordinated by PP55 Board member, Anne-Marie Maman ‘84.
Conaway opened the session by reflecting on his time at Princeton, commenting “I hold my time at Princeton very dear. The ‘In the Nation’s Service’ motto rang true for me, and has stayed with me in my future endeavors.”
The Assemblyman shared his ideas on universal health coverage and quality improvement with Project 55 fellows, alumni volunteers, and staff. He lent his first-hand observations as a practicing physician and policy maker, addressing, among many topics, the disparities he sees between his pro-bono experiences at a Trenton clinic versus his practice in suburban Burlington County.
Jade Ku ’07, a PP55 fellow at Trinitas Hospital, talked to Dr. Conaway about the challenges she has encountered working with health information technology and quality improvement. Her observations raised the topics of the relationship of physicians and hospitals, incentives for quality management, and costs of implementing new technologies.
Jason Wang '07 discusses health care with Asseblyman Conaway.
Jason Wang ’07, a PP55 fellow at Monmouth Family Health Center, commented on his experience working with a primarily uninsured community and the need for a businesslike approach to keep public interest institutions afloat. Conaway agreed that the issue of the uninsured was a significant issue facing the US and reflected that he was encouraged to see Presidential candidates addressing it directly.
Those in attendance were also treated to an impromptu tour of the State House by Assemblyman Conaway himself.
Asseblyman Conaway sits around a table with PP55 friends and Fellows.
Assemblyman Conaway was recently re-elected to his sixth term representing the 7th legislative district (Burlington and Camden Counties) in the General Assembly. He is the Chairman of the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Seminar with Asseblyman Conaway.
He received his bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton and received his MD from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and his JD at Rutgers Law School in Camden, making him the only member of the legislature with both a medical and legal degree. Assemblyman Conaway began his career in public service as a Captain in the United States Air Force medical corps.